Freedom
by rexlover180
Summary: In a world ruled by four tyrants, all Prince Alfred wants is his people's freedom. He is willing to do anything, even if that means kidnapping the ruler of his country, King Arthur. However, he did not anticipate what comes with him. USUK.
1. Visitor

Ruling was a bore sometimes. There were occasions where it would be entertaining, like when you attended balls that were genuinely fun, or when you get to decide battle plans and such. But this was not one of those times. There were no wars as of right now and the next ball was scheduled for four days. But Francis was planning that one…

Arthur sighed, sitting in his on the throne in the throne room, which was basically just a long hallway with a door on one end and the throne on the other. This was just the room where the people of the kingdom would come to him and ask him to help fix one of their many problems.

But it seemed that no one needed his help today, so he was stuck just sitting there. It was hard being king sometimes, but there were times where he would just prefer to be doing something else.

King Arthur Kirkland… It just sounded too formal sometimes…

Arthur was snapped out of his thoughts when his page, Peter, ran into the room. It was probably to announce that someone was coming. Arthur had no doubt that it was Francis coming to pay him a visit or something.

"King Arthur," Peter sighed irritably. It was well known that the two hated each other, so they never really treated each other with respect. "There's actually someone here of some importance that wants to talk to you."

"Yeah?" Arthur placed his hand in his hand and his elbow on the arm of the chair. "Who is it, Francis?"

"Nah, that git's not here," Peter stated.

"Then, who?" Arthur asked half-heartedly, not really caring.

"A prince of one of your territories," Peter said and Arthur's interest suddenly piqued.

"Which one?" Arthur lifted his head off his hand.

"Larkin," Peter informed.

"Larkin…" Arthur had to think for a moment which one that was. "Isn't that the one where I've been getting news of rebellion?"

"Yep, that's the one," Peter nodded.

What could he be wanting? Arthur drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne. He had never met the appointed prince of that territory. Arthur had decided that it would be best for all of the territories in his empire had popular sovereignty over who would be their spokesperson, or prince/princess if you were to put it that way. The prince or princess really wouldn't be able to make decisions, but it did put most of the territories at ease knowing they had a voice.

The prince of Larkin was chosen pretty young, which surprised Arthur. He was 13, when Arthur was 17. Now, however, it seemed that he would be around 21, considering Arthur was 25. His name was Alfred Jones. An odd name, Arthur had to admit, but that just depended on his parents.

"Send him in, then," Arthur said. He was interested to know what he would want.

"Sure," Peter stated and left the room.

It wasn't long before the page entered again, this time with who Arthur supposed was the prince. He had to admit, he looked remarkably like that boy he saw around Francis a lot. Alfred had ragged, sandy blonde hair with an odd cowlick sticking up in the middle of the part near his forehead. He had mesmerizing sapphire eyes that popped out from his tan skin, but they were slightly hidden behind a pair of glasses. All in all, he was quite handsome. He was wearing formal attire, a suit, but he looked awkward in it, like he wasn't used to it and didn't like it. Despite looking young and awkward, he had this determined look on his face.

"Alfred Jones, correct?" Arthur asked as he watched Peter disappear again.

"Yeah," Alfred stated bluntly, which surprised Arthur. Usually, the princes and princess from the other territories treated him with enough respect to at least call him "sir." However, there was something about that voice…The odd accent compared to Arthur's own and how it had a bit of a twang to it that Arthur couldn't explain.

"Well, what business do you have here?" Arthur asked, making his voice sound official like he had been taught.

"I want you to release Larkin," Alfred said simply. Arthur waited a second to see if the man would explain himself, but when he didn't, he was forced to ask another question.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I meant what I said," Alfred crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You are a tyrant and the people I represent want to be let go."

"Do explain how I am a tyrant," Arthur said. This had never happened to him before, either. He had considered himself a fair ruler, never a tyrant. That accusation made him a tad bit angry, but he didn't let that show in his voice.

"You make us pay for your wars we aren't even a part of, for one thing," Alfred stated. "You're taking away our natural resources like forests and fields for pointless things you don't need. And you obviously have no care for the people of Larkin, as most of them are currently violently diseased and dying every day and no one from this kingdom even lifts a finger to help. I can continue, but I think I made my point."

Arthur didn't reply for a moment. Those were true, but he never quite thought of it in that perspective. He did have the territories help pay for wars, mostly because the fees sometimes were too large for the main kingdom to pay for it all by themselves. And the destroying of natural resources was to make things like boats and clothing and food for the kingdom. Plus, Arthur had no idea of an illness breakout in Larkin. That was news to him.

However, this...child just came in and disrespected Arthur, his king. Calling him a tyrant and blaming him for things that Arthur had no idea about. And the way he put things, he was treating Arthur like he was an idiot. Arthur would never allow anyone to treat him like that.

"You do realize that the world does not revolve around Larkin?" Arthur asked. "There are things happening in this world that require help from other places that can give it. For instance, when a kingdom goes to war with another, it can be expensive and can't entirely pay for it by itself. It makes perfect sense for a territory not going into war to give payment to the kingdom protecting it from things like war."

It looked like Alfred was about to say something, but Arthur cut him off.

"As for your resources," Arthur continued, leaning forward in his throne, "sometimes, things need to be made to better society, like boats or clothing. And, sometimes, resources to make those things can be in some place other than the kingdom that needs it. When things like that are needed, it can be necessary to get rid of natural resources in order to make life better for everyone."

Alfred tried to talk again, but Arthur cut him off again.

"And as for the illness," Arthur stood up and walked towards the prince, "personally, I did not know it was occurring. Therefore, there was no possible way in this world that I could have helped you or your people. And, usually, figuring out a way to help in situations like that takes time. Understand?"

Alfred opened his mouth again to talk, but Arthur stopped him again. By now, he was right in front of the young man. It did irritate him slightly that Alfred was taller, so he couldn't be as intimidating as he wanted to be.

"Next time, before you call someone a tyrant," Arthur stated, "make sure you do take a gander at their side. Make sure you can get it through your thick skull that this kingdom actually did found the place that you live in. And that I, personally, am making sure that it prospers and stays protected as long as I am the ruler. You cannot accuse me of anything."

"I have no idea what your version of 'prospering' is," Alfred glared down at him. "But I can assure you that what is happening at Larkin is not prospering. We don't even get a chance, because we're constantly paying all of the pointless taxes you've placed on us and you don't let us move beyond certain points so that we can expand with our population. And do _not_ talk down about us like we are some ungrateful kids who can't handle themselves. If you need help paying for a war, fine, but at least ask first because I will have you know that we are humans, not the pieces of paper you get information about us on. We do actually have needs, which we can't fulfill because we can't even afford the taxes."

"I do not think of any of the territories as pieces of paper," Arthur narrowed his eyes at Alfred. "I will have you know that I treat all of them with the same respect that I do my own kingdom."

"I doubt that," Alfred snorted. "You haven't set foot on any of the territories you so gladly own. And I love how you call them 'the territories.' That's all they are, right? A way to say that you have more land than the other tyrants in this world."

"Leave," Arthur ordered.

"I honestly don't think I can follow a king that's shorter than me," Alfred stated irritably. "You look kind of ridiculous trying to look like you have authority."

"I do have authority," Arthur glared at him. "More than you."

"I am just here to represent the people I was placed in charge of," Alfred said. "I do know what they need and the only way to get that is for you to release your grip on them."

"No," Arthur stated. "From what I can tell, you probably wouldn't even be able to handle yourself as an independent kingdom. You wouldn't even last a year before you came crawling back to me."

"Wanna test that theory?" Alfred challenged.

"You are not getting independence," Arthur growled. "And when you go back to your _territory_," Arthur put emphasis on that word, "you can tell them all that it would be all your fault that they never get their independence."

"You sure you aren't a tyrant?" Alfred asked, and then added, vioce dripping with sarcasm, and even going so far as to bow, "_my king_?"

"You will leave my sight," Arthur said with a huff, turning around to go back to the throne. "_Now!_"

Arthur stormed to the throne and sat down, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose with both of his hands. He didn't open his eyes until he was positive he was alone in the room again.

That damn prince didn't know his place, he decided. He was lucky that Arthur hadn't ordered punishment or even done it himself. It had been a long time since he made a brat know his place. For some reason, that idea pleased him.

Arthur impatiently tapped his fingers on the arm of the throne, trying to think clearly. Then he decided.

If Larkin was rebelling so much, then Arthur was going to set it straight. He stood up and stormed out of the room, ready to make plans to visit his territory.

* * *

**Okay! So, I'm back with a new story! And it's USUK, for all the people following me for that. I've decided that I'm going to take a break from my Disney Parodies, seeing as I still need to smooth down a lot of ideas. And I came up with this a while ago. Believe it or not, I came up with it while listening to "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahantas. You'll see where that comes into play later.**

**Anyway! Please tell me what you think of it so far! And, trust me, this is just the tip of the iceberg, it gets a lot better soon.**

**Oh, and I don't own Hetalia, I swear.**


	2. Shackles

Arthur sat irritably in his carriage, glaring out the window at the territory called Larkin. All he had seen of it so far was one dump of a town after another. He was still furious at that damn prince, putting him in a bad mood for the whole trip. Luckily, though, that was a short trip, as the territory was just under the main kingdom, Klinster, which Arthur was just in. Just one day's trip. And it took one day to actually be able to go. And then tomorrow was that damn party in Francis' kingdom. Luckily, it was just on the other side of the small territory.

To be honest, this was his first time to leave Kilnster. He was used to lavish looking towns where everyone usually smiled at him and used respect to address him. Here, though, every town looked like it was made of mud and every time someone saw him, they scowled or glared. Some even yelled. This would take a lot more effort that Arthur supposed to make this territory go back into order.

"If you keep staring like that, jerk, you'll keep that face forever," Peter snorted from his seat across from Arthur.

"Shut the hell up," Arthur snapped.

"Don't kill me just because I'm the only one around," Peter put his hands up in mock surrender. "Did that Alfred kid really tick you off this bad?"

"Damn brat," Arthur muttered. "Doesn't even know his bloody place!"

"You knew him for about 5 minutes," Peter snorted. "You can't hate someone from just five minutes with them."

"On the contrary, my first opinion on him wasn't bad," Arthur stated, still with an edge of irritation in his voice. "At first, I just figured he would be just like that shy kid Francis keeps about. And I almost would have considered him handsome. But then he had to open his damn mouth!"

"You almost had a crush on him, didn't you?" Peter leaned forward.

"No!" Arthur snapped quickly.

"You so did," Peter leaned back triumphantly.

"I did not!" Arthur growled. "There is no way in Hell that I would ever even _like_ him in the first place!"

"You fell in love at first sight!" Peter teased.

"Shut up, pipsqueak!" Arthur snarled. "I find the thought of him revolting."

"You should be a little nicer to your first love," Peter stretched.

"That's it!" Arthur snapped and lurched forward to strangle his page. However, before Arthur could get a good grip on him, the carriage suddenly stopped. Peter took advantage of Arthur's attention change by squirming to the other side of the carriage. "Why did we stop?" Arthur looked out the window. They were just in some field with no one around.

"Um, lunch break?" Peter shrugged.

"You're an idiot," Arthur rolled his eyes and reached for the door closest to him. Before he got to the handle, though, it turned for him. Arthur quickly retreated his hand and shifted back slightly. Was this a citizen of Larkin ambushing him? Would he get beat up or something? Left on the side of the road?

Arthur's train of thought stopped cold when both the door in front of him and the door behind him slammed open. The man that appeared on the other side of the door in front immediately grabbed Peter, swooping him up and out of the carriage.

"Arthur!" Peter screamed just as Arthur felt something go over his mouth and nose, pulling him backwards, to the other side of the carriage. He felt his back go against something that definitely wasn't a wall.

Arthur started flailing, trying to get out of the person's grip. Was he being suffocated? This couldn't be happening.

"Shh," a man said, his voice just above Arthur's head. Arthur noticed that the more he breathed, the more tired he was becoming. "Calm down," the man said again. Arthur recognized that voice. He started breathing heavier, but that just made his predicament worse. That was Alfred. "Just…sleep, okay?" Arthur quickly glanced up behind him at the source of the voice. But his vision began swimming in front of him, parts of his body going numb.

All he saw was two sapphire orbs before he blacked out, going limp.

* * *

Arthur woke up, keeping his eyes closed. His head was throbbing and he had problems remembering what happened before he was asleep. Did he get drunk again or something? Oh, God, what day was it? How long had he been asleep?

When Arthur slowly cracked his eyes open, however, he didn't see the ceiling to his bedroom back home. No, he saw a border of green tree leaves surrounding a blue sky with just one, small cloud travelling across it. It looked rather peaceful…

That was when Arthur remembered the events in the carriage. He sat bolt upright, searching around desperately. He looked like he was in some forest, trees were everywhere, except the small clearing he was in. Arthur also noticed that the clothes he was in didn't feel like the royal silk he was usually dressed in. This cloth scratched at his arms and legs and didn't feel comfortable at all. He looked down at what he was wearing, finding a green tunic, dark green pants, brown boots, and a black cloak was resting on his shoulders. Arthur also noticed that there was something oddly heavy sitting on his right wrist.

"Oh, so the king is finally awake," a familiar voice muttered angrily next to him.

"You!" Arthur turned towards it quickly, finding exactly who he expected. Alfred Jones. He was leaning against a nearby tree, scraping at a stick with his knife. He was wearing simpler clothes, too. A simple tan tunic and brown pants with brown boots.

"Yup, me," Alfred grinned, not even looking up from the stick.

"You just bloody kidnapped me!" Arthur snapped, turning towards him. A small chain lying on the ground caught his attention, though.

"Only way I could think of to get you to listen to reason," Alfred shrugged. Arthur looked down at his right wrist and found half of a pair of shackles attached to it. It connected to that chain on the ground. Arthur followed it with his eyes and found that the chain attached to the other half of the shackles on Alfred's left wrist. There was only about a foot of the chain before it connected their wrists.

"Why the hell did you chain me to your arse!" Arthur snapped.

"So you don't get away before I get my point across," Alfred stated simply and set the stick on the ground. "If you're awake enough to cuss at me, then I'm pretty sure you can stand and walk."

"I have a few more questions for you!" Arthur snapped, but Alfred was already standing up, tugging enough on the chain to make Arthur stand up, too.

"Then ask," Alfred stated bluntly.

"How the hell did I get into these clothes?" Arthur tried to snap, but it came out more as a sputter.

"I couldn't have you getting spotted with your fancy clothes," Alfred stated boredly. "So I changed you out of them. Sorry if they're not the fancy cloth you're used to."

"You bloody changed me?" Arthur felt his eyes widen and a blush spread deeply across his face.

"You got a problem, _my king_?" those last two words were dripping with sarcasm and that made Arthur's eyes narrow, forgetting his earlier embarrassment.

"You will _not_ use that tone with me," Arthur growled.

"_You_ have no authority right now," Alfred snapped. "Currently, you're just some peasant in the lovely _territory_ of Larkin. In fact, I have reign over you, as I am prince."

"The clothes I'm wearing do _not_ make me a peasant!" Arthur glared at him.

"Where's your proof!" Alfred laughed. "The only thing is that eyebrow thing that goes into your family line or whatever that shit I learned was! And, you know what? Show that to anyone around here and you're gonna get killed! No doubt. So, I would suggest you put on that hood from your cloak before someone sees those giant ass things."

"The second I get back home, you are _dead_!" Arthur snapped, but still flipped the hood up.

"I can hear that 'His Highness' is up," a new voice laughed from over to Arthur's left, using sarcasm on the title he gave Arthur.

"Great," Arthur snorted. "Who else played a part in kidnapping me?"

"The awesome Gilbert Weillschmidt, at your service," a man stepped out from the darkness, revealing silver, white hair and ruby red eyes. The man looked pale, but obviously not low on health. He looked very well built, tall, and he had a large smirk on his face. He was wearing an all black outfit, boots and everything. And Arthur could see a sword on his waist. "Well, at Alfred's service, not yours."

Arthur set his jaw. "And what the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Oh, he's my advisor," Alfred said simply. "Actually, he's also the _brother_ of your royal advisor, right?"

"There is no way in Hell that something like _that_," Arthur jabbed a finger at Gilbert, "can be related to Ludwig."

"Feeling the love," Gilbert chuckled.

"He just follows me around and I let him 'cause he's pretty cool," Alfred grinned, obviously happy Arthur was getting pissed.

"The word is awesome, thank you," Gilbert stated.

"Great, I'm being forced to live with two imbeciles," Arthur snapped. "What do you intend on doing anyway?"

"This is the genius of my plan," Alfred smiled happily. "You are going to experience what's going on here first-hand and realize why we would be better off as independent."

"I don't know why you're still going on about that," Arthur rolled his eyes. "I thought I made it clear that you would never get your precious independence."

"Tyrant!" Alfred yelled.

"You're only making it so that I have to be one!" Arthur snapped. "If you weren't so bloody difficult and stubborn, your request might have made sense! And then I might have granted independence!"

"You're the one that's thick headed here!" Alfred retaliated. "You need to be able to think of anything other than yourself!"

"Okay, we're done with that," Gilbert shoved the two in opposite directions, at least as far as the shackles would allow them. "Alfred, if you want to actually go through with your plan, I suggest you get started now, before anyone cares that he's missing."

"Fine," Alfred huffed. "Let's go to town then."

"You can't make me go with you," Arthur snapped.

"I'm taller and stronger than you," Alfred let out a laugh and started walking. "I don't think I'll have any problems getting you to go anywhere."

"It was never established that you were stronger than me!" Arthur snapped. He was swiftly proven wrong as Alfred lurched his left hand forward, practically making Arthur topple over from the force. He had to walk to prevent himself from falling face-first into the ground.

"Told ya so," Alfred chimed annoyingly happily as Arthur trudged behind him.

"Gotta love kidnapping, eh?" Gilbert chuckled, walking behind Arthur.

"I hate you both," Arthur grumbled.

* * *

"Where do you think he could be?" Francis tapped his foot impatiently.

"Perhaps he didn't know?" Antonio shrugged his shoulders, leaning on a chair behind a table that was set up with presents.

"He knew," Francis started pacing. "Arthur knows just as well as I do that our kingdoms are to unite. Meaning we would have to fall into l'amour."

"Or you just force him to marry you," Antonio pointed out. "Like you're doing."

"He knows today will be the day I propose to him," Francis sighed. "He was fine with it and should still be."

"Si," Antonio sighed propping his feet up on the table. "And then we finally get to join that party going on just outside of this room after you sweep him off his feet, right?" It was obvious to Francis that he was using sarcasm.

"The point is that he's late," Francis sighed. "A half hour, to be exact."

"Well, he's not German," Antonio laughed. "I'm pretty sure not even Ludwig would be able to get Arthur to move quicker than he wants to. He does have the largest empire in the world right now."

"And we should be ruling together soon!" Francis snapped.

Suddenly, the door to the room slammed open, making Francis and Antonio's heads snap towards it. Francis expected it to be Arthur, but the person in the doorway was a lot shorter.

"I need your help," the boy panted, closing the door behind him.

"Why are you panting?" Francis raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm sexy enough to take your breath away but-"

"This isn't a joking matter!" the boy snapped. Both Francis and Antonio recognized him as Peter, Arthur's page.

"Is something wrong, amigo?" Antonio put his feet down. "I've never seen you this serious."

"Arthur's been kidnapped!" Peter said breathlessly.

"What?" Antonio fell out of his chair.

"Mon dieu!" Francis gasped.

"Tell us what happened!" Antonio scrambled to his feet to stand next to Francis.

"Well," Peter appeared to have finally gotten his breath back, "we were just riding in a carriage, going to visit Larkin because Arthur had heard about all the disturbances and wanted to help. But the carriage suddenly stopped and then the doors suddenly opened and I was pulled out by some freak with red eyes! He dragged me far away and, when he left, I ran right back towards the carriage, but Arthur wasn't there! I searched for him, but I couldn't find him and I'm sure he got kidnapped!"

"Why was he in Larkin?" Francis asked. "They all hate him."

"Obviously he didn't know that," Peter sighed. "It was all after Prince Alfred came to visit and Arthur got all pissed and he was still irritated when we were separated."

"Alfred…" Francis muttered. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Prince of Larkin?" Peter snapped.

"No, not that..." Francis tried to remember why that name sounded so familiar.

"I don't think now is the time to question that!" Antonio snapped.

"Right, we need to get to Larkin to search for him," Francis said.

"I'll go send the party home," Antonio rushed out of the room.

"So," Francis sighed, looking at his nails, "does mon amour, Arthur, ever talk about me?"

Peter glared at him. "No. He hates you, remember?"

"Oui, oui, of course," Francis sighed as he departed the room.

* * *

**Ta-da! Chapter two! One thing I want to point out here is that this is an alternate world. And, as it is basically placed in the 18th or 17th century, more or less, most of the technology is limited to that. However, since it's an alternate world, I am allowed to bend things a bit. Like adding chloroform when necissary(that's what knocked Arthur out). I'm just putting that in here to avoid confusion.**

**Be sure to tell me how I'm doing! I really look forward to everyone's feedback, whether it's critisism or praise, I don't care.**

**I swear that I don't own Hetalia.**


	3. Into Town

Where the hell are we even going?" Arthur groaned. They had been walking for what seemed like forever through the forest and Arthur was sure his wrist was getting bruised from the shackles.

"Nearest town," Alfred chimed. "One you passed through on your way here."

"You do realize that it's only a matter of time before I escape," Arthur sighed.

"Good luck with that," Alfred laughed. He dug into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out a small key. "This is the only key for these things and I'll be keeping them on me this whole time."

"So, now all I have to do is figure out a way for me to get that key," Arthur stated.

"Good luck with that, kid," Gilbert chuckled from behind them as Alfred stored the key back.

"I am not a kid," Arthur snapped.

"Well, you're a lot younger than me," Gilbert laughed. "So I can call you whatever I want to call you."

"Why did I have to be dragged into Hell by you two?" Arthur complained.

"Oh, it's not Hell, it's a territory," Alfred looked up at the sky, which was barely visible through the tree tops.

"From what I've seen, it's the same difference," Arthur scoffed.

"Oh, and whose fault is it that we don't have any money to improve?" Alfred asked.

"Will you stop complaining about that!" Arthur snapped. "Everyone else has to pay taxes and they've turned out fine!"

"Ever been there to prove that assumption?" Alfred asked. "'Cause I have. The only part of your dazzling empire that can handle it is the main kingdom, Klinster, and that's because their taxes are less than ours!"

"They're the same everywhere!" Arthur yelled.

"I'm not very good at math, but even I know that's not true," Alfred shot a glare back at him and lurched his left hand forward, causing Arthur to trip.

"Stop bloody doing that!" Arthur yelled. "You're acting like a child!"

"I'm 21! I'm supposed to!" Alfred laughed. "I was raised on the principle that you save the adult stuff for when you get there."

"And I was raised on the fact that when you reach 21, you become an adult," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"And when did you become an adult? 15?" Alfred asked.

"I grew up quickly because I had to!" Arthur snapped.

"No one needs to grow up that fast!" Alfred stopped so he could turn around and yell face-to-face with Arthur. "Even if it was to become king, a kingdom can go without a king for a while."

"When there's someone else to take over!" Arthur yelled. "Which there wasn't!"

"There wasn't a single person capable of taking over?" Alfred scoffed. "I doubt that."

"There wasn't anyone else because I was the only one that survived!" Arthur nearly screamed, but then he looked down at the ground. "That's obviously something you didn't get taught."

"And we're moving," Gilbert cleared his throat when Alfred didn't say anything and started pushing them forward until they walked on their own. Arthur stayed behind Alfred, refusing to let him see that he had started crying.

They walked in silence for a while, giving Arthur plenty of time to recover and compose himself again. It was just in time, too, because Arthur could see a town through the trees.

"You don't think anyone will find it weird that we're coming in through the forest?" Arthur finally piped up again.

"The people here have seen weirder," Alfred stated. It seemed like the thick air between them completely disappeared now that they were talking to each other again.

"So they won't care that we are shackled together?" Arthur asked.

"Not at all," Alfred grinned and they stepped through the trees, forcing Arthur alongside him.

Almost immediately after they came into the horribly small, beat up town, everyone seemed to notice them. A few even crowded around them, all talking to Alfred.

"Alfred, you're back!" a little kid said excitedly.

"I'm surprised you're still alive after going up there," a woman said snidely.

"How was it?" a man asked in wonder.

"They all stuck up snobs?" another kid came up.

"I only have one of me, dudes!" Alfred laughed. "You know I can only talk to one person at a time, right?"

"So, who's the stiff with ya?" the woman looked Arthur up and down, which made him freeze.

"Some hitchhiker I picked up in Klinster," Alfred said simply and Arthur shivered as the woman glared at him.

"You know that damned king of yours?" she snapped.

"Um, no," Arthur shakily shook his head. This woman seemed terrifying. The way she talked about Arthur, it was definitely scary. Was he really that hated here? "I d-don't know him."

"Tell him to go fuck himself if you ever see him," the man from earlier snorted, walking away with the woman. To Arthur's horror, the kids started laughing. Arthur quickly shifted the hood so that he was sure it covered his eyebrows.

"Hey, Alfred," the first kid asked innocently, but she let out this horrid cough that made Arthur wince.

"Yes, Ashley?" Alfred knelt down to go to eye-level with her, the shackles making Arthur kneel down, too. He noticed that the girl looked deathly pale.

"Did you bring any food like you did last time?" she asked innocently and then went into a small coughing fit. Alfred waited until she was done to speak, but he put his hand on her head calmly part way through.

"I'm sorry," Alfred smiled softly, messing up her hair slightly. "But I'm not allowed to bring any more."

"Oh," she said disappointedly and coughed. "O-Okay!" she forced out a smile she obviously didn't mean.

"Hey, I could hunt for you tonight if you wanted me to," Alfred offered kindly.

"No, Daddy's already doing that," the girl replied sweetly, but ended with another sickly cough.

"I thought he was sick, too," Alfred said.

"He said he's feeling better, though!" the girl said excitedly. Arthur marveled at how she seemed so…happy while she seemed deathly sick at the same time.

"You tell him I say hi, okay?" Alfred ruffled her hair and stood up, so Arthur followed suit.

"Who said you weren't allowed to bring food?" Arthur whispered to him.

"You," Alfred said simply and started walking again, Arthur in tow.

Arthur looked around at the town and…it wasn't much at all. The only road was a horrible dirt line that looked like the people in town made it themselves. All of the houses appeared to be horribly crafted with wood and mud. And it seemed like every inhabitant had that same cough as the little girl.

Several people came up to Alfred and he talked to all of them kindly, hoping for the best for all of them and making every last one of them smile. Even Arthur had to fight to not let a smile slip.

"Who would have guessed you had a heart," Arthur remarked as Alfred walked away from an elderly man, the only one around that didn't seem to be sick.

"Everyone in Larkin," Alfred replied simply. "Unlike you, I love and cherish everyone I'm in charge of."

"All of them?" Arthur snorted.

"All 3,942 of them," Alfred winked and looked up to say hello to a woman coming towards them. "43…" he said. And Arthur noticed it too, this woman had a bulge on her stomach that could only be a baby. "Hey, congratulations," he greeted the woman.

"Oh, thank you," she replied politely, placing a hand on her stomach. "So, I hear you brought someone from Klinster with you?"

"Yeah, Artie here," Alfred smiled.

"My name is Arthur," Arthur glared at him.

"Same name as the king," she sighed.

"Ah, coincidence," Arthur said quickly, shrinking into the cloak slightly.

"Sure, sweetie," she chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure she's the only one that doesn't hate the dipshit," Alfred laughed and Arthur glared at him.

"It's against my nature to hate," she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, Angie," Alfred said with a wave of his hand. "Oh, yeah, how's that school you were trying to build?"

"It would be built by now, but I need money," she sighed impatiently. Arthur couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt at that.

"Trying my best to fix that," Alfred rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "King Arthur's just a bit thick headed. But I think I'll get through to him eventually."

"Let's hope," she left with a smile on her face.

"First time you called me what you're supposed to," Arthur chuckled.

"I'm just being polite to women, like any hero should," Alfred said proudly.

"Hero?" Arthur scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm more of a hero than you are," Alfred remarked. "King."

"Don't princes always have dreams of chasing down and saving damsels in distress?" Arthur retaliated. "And those dreams never come true, right?"

"At least I can dream," Alfred smirked. "Because I didn't grow up to fast like most kings do."

"Are you two going to be at it like this the whole time?" Gilbert groaned and started pushing them towards the trees on the other side of the town than they came from. "I think we made our point here, so let's keep moving."

"You're such a twat," Arthur rolled his eyes as Alfred started moving.

"I have no idea what that is," Alfred laughed as they entered the new line of trees.

"Wanker," Arthur narrowed his eyes.

* * *

"Why the hell are we going through so many forests?" Arthur complained. He looked up at the sky and noticed that it was turning orange with the falling sun. "Why can't we just follow a road and ride a damn horse or something?"

"Aw, is someone not used to walking?" Alfred said with fake empathy. "Don't you have people to walk for you?"

"I am not the prick you make me out to be," Arthur glared at the back of his head as they walked. They'd been walking for hours in the same forest.

"So that's why you're complaining so much," Alfred nodded. "Makes a lot of sense now."

"I can't wait to get out of this stupid forest," Arthur muttered, glaring at the ground.

"You shouldn't call it stupid," Gilbert laughed from behind Arthur.

"Why?" Arthur snapped. "It's not like a couple trees are going to hurt me."

"Well, this forest you keep cutting down has something special about it," Alfred laughed. "It's magic."

"Magic?" Arthur snorted. "I highly doubt a lousy forest like this is bloody magical…wait, that's it! Magic…"

"What are you talking to yourself about?" Alfred called back to him.

"I can just use my magic to get out of these stupid shackles," Arthur said proudly.

"Doesn't magic take a pure mind and heart in order for you to use it?" Alfred laughed. "I doubt someone like you could use it."

"I will have you know that I was one of the best magic users in the world a while back!" Arthur snapped at him.

"Oh, a while back, okay," Alfred said. "Then a lot's changed I suppose, right?"

"I can still use it!" Arthur yelled at him.

"Then prove it for me!" Alfred stopped and turned around, towards Arthur. "I want to see you use your magic."

"Fine, then I will!" Arthur snapped and focused down on the chain of the shackles. It would be a simple fire spell, that would be enough to weaken the chain and he could break it and get away. He tried to repeat the spell he had learned as a child over in his mind, but there were parts of it he couldn't remember. No matter how hard he tried, nothing came to his mind for the completion of the spell. It was like there was something blocking his memory.

"Problems?" Alfred's smug voice brought Arthur back to Earth.

"No!" Arthur snapped at him. "I am having none, whatsoever!"

"Then, why haven't you broken free yet?" Alfred asked.

"Because, sometimes, it takes time to come up with a good spell!" Arthur yelled.

"And, here's my cue to get me to keep you two moving," Gilbert started pushing the two again.

"Good Lord, I bloody hate you two…" Arthur muttered.

"Best get used to it," Gilbert laughed. "My King."

Arthur twitched. This was going to take forever, he could already tell.

* * *

They were walking for a while after that, and then Arthur noticed that he had to pee. He tried to ignore it, but after a while, it was getting very hard to ignore.

"I have to pee…" Arthur muttered when he couldn't handle it anymore.

"What was that?" Alfred asked and he sounded extremely amused.

"You heard me, don't make me repeat myself," Arthur snapped at him.

"Okay, then what do you want me to do about it?" Alfred asked.

"Well, you could stop, for starters," Arthur grumbled and he was surprised when Alfred stopped and turned around.

"What now, Your Highness?" Alfred asked, his voice full of sarcasm. "I will follow your every order."

"Don't give me that tone," Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"Do you want to pee, or not?" Alfred laughed.

"I'm not going to do it in front of you," Arthur snapped.

"Why not?" Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"Because that's…undignified," Arthur stated, he could feel his face heating up.

"You just got kidnapped and you're worried about being dignified," Alfred snorted. "Well, isn't that interesting?"

"Don't laugh at me!" Arthur yelled at him.

"If you really have to piss that bad, I'm sure it wouldn't matter if you did it in front of me," Alfred laughed.

"I'm not going to do it in front of you," Arthur snapped.

"Then do tell me when you come up with a wonderful plan that enables you to do that without me connected to you," Alfred started laughing even more.

"You should just let me go for a second," Arthur sighed. "I can't run away, I don't even know where the hell I am."

"I don't see what the big deal is," Alfred chuckled. "You don't have anything I haven't seen before."

"It's called privacy, Alfred," Arthur rolled his eyes. "That's obviously something you've never heard of."

"If you have to pee, just do it," Alfred sighed, but he was still smiling. "There's a tree just about everywhere around you and the forest doesn't care if you piss on a tree."

"Oh, yes, because the forest is magic, I forgot," Arthur groaned. "I'm not going to do it in front of you!"

"If it's such a big deal, don't bring it up," Alfred laughed. "Here, I'll give you three options. One, you can just hold it until we let you go. Two, you can just pee in those pants because you're too scared to drop them. Or, three, you can just do it now. You could probably be done already if you started when you said you had to."

"I won't!" Arthurs snapped. "I can't!"

"I'm sure you've at least done it in front of your mom, or something," Alfred was finally starting to sound irritated. "If it helps, you can turn around."

"Then you turn around, too," Arthur said simply.

"Why should I care about your precious privacy?" Alfred scoffed.

"We're not going to be getting anywhere until I do what I have to do and that's not gonna happen until you turn around, too," Arthur stated firmly, staring defiantly into Alfred's eyes. He had to admit that it felt a little weird, he hadn't done that since he was a kid, doing that to his brothers or his dad.

"Fine," Alfred sighed and turned around. Arthur turned towards Gilbert, who just put his hands up in mock surrender and turned around, too.

And Arthur was finally allowed to pee.

* * *

**So, I've decided that I'm going to try to update everyday, rather than every other day with this thing... Mainly because I'm getting impatient and I've already written a lot of this thing. So...yeah, we will see how that goes!**

**Anyway, it may seem like this chapter is kind of a filler, but some important things happened! You'll just have to see what later.**

**(EDIT: That little bathroom bit was edited in at around the same time as chapter 17, for those who are just starting to read. I didn't mean to make it that long, but it just kept stretching on and on and on, so it turned into an extra long chapter. Yay!)**

**Please review! Because it's so nice and it's the right thing to do!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	4. Forest

"We should stop here for the night," Gilbert sighed and stopped walking in the middle of a small clearing. Arthur looked up at the sky again through the trees and noticed that it was starting to turn a shade of purple.

"Fine with me," Alfred said happily and stretched both of his arms above his head, causing Arthur's right arm to go up in the air slightly.

"You know, I've been walking through this forest for about a day now," Arthur scoffed. "And I haven't seen one shred of proof that it's magical."

"You keep saying things like that and it's gonna get angry," Alfred pointed out, smiling.

"It's a forest," Arthur snapped. "Forests do not have feelings." Arthur moved his left foot to take a step forward, but it seemed like the ground suddenly lifted up, causing Arthur to falter backwards. He tried to use his right foot to catch him, but the ground suddenly rose up when he tried to place it on the ground, and Arthur's back slammed onto the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

"You know," Alfred said and Arthur had to blink a few times to get his vision and breathing back. Arthur looked over to his side and saw that Alfred as kneeling next to him, obviously he avoided falling with Arthur. "Someone who could use magic probably would know that anything can have feelings. Even someone like you."

"Shut up," Arthur snapped and sat upright.

"You gonna be nice to it now?" Gilbert laughed and Arthur noticed that he was carrying a pile of wood.

"I would hardly call what you're doing being nice to the forest," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I asked for permission, dip shit," Gilbert said proudly.

"I have a sinking feeling that you two are insane," Arthur muttered as he stood up. "I don't think a forest can have a mind to have feelings and to give permission to do anything!"

"Explain how you just fell," Alfred stood up, too.

"I tripped," Arthur rationalized.

"Sure you did," Alfred laughed. "This forest actually knows a lot. It knows more than us humans do."

"A forest can't know anything," Arthur rolled his eyes and tried to walk again. But the ground rose up again underneath his feet, tripping him again. This time, however, he managed to tumble, face-first into Alfred's chest.

"You okay there?" Alfred laughed and Arthur shoved himself away.

"I am fine!" Arthur huffed. Rather than trying to walk again, though, Arthur just sat down cross-legged right where he was. Since Alfred was still standing, though, Arthur's right hand was suspended in the air.

"Giving up walking's a nice way out of it, right?" Alfred laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Arthur sighed. "You should sit down soon, before my wrist starts bleeding or something."

"Why should I care if your wrist is bleeding?" Alfred asked, still laughing.

"You already kidnapped me," Arthur glared at him. "So you're already going to prison. If you bring me back damaged, you'll get off even worse."

"Do I look like I'm worried about that?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I'm sure you can handle a small cut on your wrist. Bear in mind that I'm also feeling what you are. We are kinda connected and stuff."

"You will be so dead by the time this is over!" Arthur threatened.

"I would like to see you try to do anything to me," Alfred snorted and started walking, which resulted in him dragging Arthur behind him. Sputtering, Arthur tried to dig his feet into the ground to get them to stop, but Alfred just kept going.

"Why do you insist on being so bloody difficult!" Arthur snapped, standing now and matching Alfred's pace. He noticed that they were just walking around in a circle around the clearing.

"Because you're so caught up in being a stuck up royal that this is the only way you would even consider paying attention to someone like me," Alfred stated.

"I am not a stuck up royal!" Arthur twitched.

"Then why are you complaining about going through the forest?" Alfred demanded. He had stopped walking and now turned around towards Arthur. "You're so freaking irritating! Why can't you shut up for two seconds! If you don't care as much as you say, then stop caring!"

"If I'm so irritating, then you should just let me go!" Arthur yelled. "It's that bloody simple! I don't want to be here, that's why I'm complaining! I don't care what you think, this stupid adventure you're putting me through won't change anything! You won't be getting your independence!"

"I'm just trying to settle this before there's a war!" Alfred yelled. "Because that's what's gonna happen if you don't give us our independence now! I don't want anybody I represent to die because of a war!"

"If you become independent, there's no possible way you can avoid war!" Arthur yelled louder. "If that's what you're worried about, then there is no way that you would be able to sustain your own kingdom! You would make for a horrible king!"

"At least not all I think about is war!" Alfred yelled in return. "You go to war with Joroko all the time! And that's just because you hate their king!"

"That's because he's a bloody idiot!" Arthur snapped, balling his hands into fists. "You'd be just like Antonio, except even he is a little smarter than you!"

"Hey, look, I made a fire," Gilbert came up to them and, wrapping his arms around their shoulders, led them towards the fire he had just made. "Let's all stare at it and be quiet."

"Tyrant," Alfred muttered.

"Wanker," Arthur muttered.

* * *

Arthur stared up at the starry sky through the trees and sighed. He couldn't help but wonder if there was anyone who cared enough about him to search. Did they even notice he was missing yet? They probably did, considering the "surprise" Francis told him all about that was supposed to happen at that party. That was today, wasn't it?

It was doubtful anyone would search for him. Better for them, they get to have free claim to all his territories and then he'd have to build his empire back up from scratch… He didn't matter all that much in the first place. A main reason his kingdom and Francis' were combining was for added strength in the first place…

Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Alfred snoring, signaling that he was definitely deep in sleep. Time for Arthur's next plan for escape. He looked around to make sure Gilbert wasn't around. He was apparently in charge of guard duty, but Arthur was pretty sure he would just be sleeping in a tree somewhere.

Arthur slowly sat up, careful not to move the shackles too much. Alfred was sleeping on his back, which made for easy access to that pocket he was storing the key in. It was the right one, if Arthur remembered correctly, meaning he would have to reach across Alfred to get to it.

He tried to reach over, but he couldn't get a good enough angle to reach into the pocket without waking Alfred up. So, taking a deep breath, Arthur moved his left leg so that it was over both of Alfred's, and moved his left hand so that it was on the other side of Alfred's head. He tried to ignore the fact that he was on top of Alfred on all fours and tried to focus on getting that key. Getting to freedom would be a piece of cake.

Before he could move his left hand to try to search the pocket, however, the grass seemed to slip beneath his hands and knees. Causing him to fall right on top of Alfred. To his horror, the snoring stopped.

"Well, hi," Alfred chuckled and Arthur didn't look up, to hide his growing blush. This was just embarrassing. Finally, though, Arthur forced himself off Alfred, rolling to where he was before. "Were you looking for this?" Alfred asked and Arthur watched him pull out the key from his pocket.

"Possibly," Arthur looked away from him.

"Tell ya what, dude," Alfred laughed and Arthur noticed the key fall onto the ground several feet in front of him. "If you can get to the key, then you can go."

"Really?" Arthur sat up and looked over to Alfred.

"Yup!" Alfred nodded, staying lying down.

"No tricks?" Arthur asked.

"None," Alfred smiled. "Just grab the key."

Arthur just looked at Alfred for a second before he looked back at the key. He started crawling for the key, but he stopped, when his right arm wouldn't move anymore. He looked back and saw that Alfred was still just lying on his back, his arm being pulled out by the shackles. Arthur tugged on the arm, but Alfred didn't budge. Arthur stood up and tried to pull again, but he pulled so hard he fell over. He had just been able to pull Alfred so that he was sideways.

"Why do you have to be such a fat arse?" Arthur grumbled as he stood back up.

"Why don't you have any muscle?" Alfred laughed.

Arthur rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the key and tried to see if he could grab onto it with his foot. He stretched out his leg as far as it would go, but the key was still a couple inches away.

"I think being pampered in that castle for your whole life has made you soft," Alfred sighed and walked over to pick up the key.

"You're just so fat, I can't move you," Arthur snapped.

"I doubt you could even do a push up," Alfred stated.

"I could!" Arthur defended himself.

"Do one right now," Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to do a push up in front of you just because you told me to," Arthur huffed.

"That's 'cause you're a wuss," Alfred patted his back.

"Wanker…" Arthur muttered.

"Look, I would fight with you, but I'm tired," Alfred yawned and messed up Arthur's hair.

"Don't do that," Arthur winced and tried to fix his hair.

"It was already messed up in the first place," Alfred chuckled.

"That doesn't mean I like people messing with it," Arthur muttered and followed Alfred back to where they originally slept. Alfred laid down and Arthur just sat beside him. He wasn't tired.

"Hey, Artie, I have a question," Alfred said after a long silence.

"I'll answer it if you call me by my real name," Arthur stated.

"Arthur," Alfred sighed. "Did you mean it when you said I would be a horrible king?"

"Well, from what I've seen so far, you're just some brat who refuses to give up and hates war," Arthur stated. "So, no, you probably wouldn't."

"Really?" Alfred propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Arthur. He looked genuinely hurt.

"What do you care?" Arthur asked. "I figured you thought all kings were tyrants."

"I wouldn't want to be king per se," Alfred muttered, gazing up at the stars. "I thought up this new way for a place to be run, so it wouldn't be a kingdom or an empire or a territory. But it still has a ruler, in essence, I guess. But I figure that probably won't be me…"

Arthur stared at Alfred for a while. He actually felt…bad. Almost like he crushed some kids dreams.

"Mind telling me that new method of ruling?" Arthur asked tentatively and Alfred looked at him like he was crazy.

"Why do you care?" Alfred furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, I don't," Arthur said quickly, looking down at the ground. "I just…figured it would be a good way for me to get to sleep. A boring fantasy like that…" Arthur really didn't mean that, he didn't know why he didn't, though.

"Well, it's still rough around the edges," Alfred chuckled. "But it gives more power to the people. Gives them a say in everything that goes on. Even their ruler. And…everyone is pretty equal, overall. Even the ruler won't have all the power over everyone else. I…don't quite know what to call it yet though." Arthur marveled at the way Alfred talked about it. He got so into it, it was almost like he got lost in his dream. He was genuinely devoted to this.

"Beautiful," Arthur chuckled quietly.

"Huh?" Alfred turned his head towards him.

"I-I said…wishful thinking," Arthur said quickly. "I doubt anyone would follow something like that. It sounds stupid." Arthur tried not to wince at his words and Alfred's reaction.

"Maybe you're right," Alfred sighed, staring back up at the sky, but he soon closed his eyes. "It's only a dream right now, after all."

Arthur, completely forgetting why he hated this boy, wanted nothing more than to tell him to follow that dream. But he bit his tongue, staring at the ground. He had already promised that independence was impossible, so that would be like giving him false hope…

Right?

* * *

Gilbert chuckled from his position in a tree. Before Alfred fell asleep, they could have easily cut each other's heads off. But, now it looked like they were getting along. Or, the closest they would get to that.

Alfred was staring up at the sky and Arthur was sitting next to him impatiently. Gilbert would have never guessed that the two could co-exist this well ever before.

Suddenly, Arthur looked over at Alfred, who had just asked a question. Arthur said something off-handedly, but Alfred looked completely crushed. The two talked for a while and Arthur eventually looked guilty, staring at Alfred as he fell asleep again.

Gilbert was amazed at how the two could go from Arthur falling on top of Alfred to Arthur dragging Alfred to Arthur feeling guilty.

"Kids," Gilbert sighed as he resituated himself in the tree. The fire he made was long gone, but the two seemed fine as they were. However, it didn't look like Arthur was going to fall asleep any time soon. "As long as he's keeping watch…" Gilbert muttered and closed his eyes to get to sleep.

* * *

**Important step for Arthur and Alfred. This is where they make the transition between arguing and bickering. All because of that touching moment. Aw... So cute. And, the forest knows all, even that Arthur and Alfred are supposed to be together by the end of the story. So, you can think of it as the forest playing matchmaker. Yeah, not much happened in this chapter, to be honest... But, hey, it was fun to write, so that's all that matters, eh?**

**Oh, and turns out, my update everyday thing didn't last as long as I planned. I'm going camping tomorrow through Sunday, so I won't be able to post until then. But, by then, I will have written a lot of chapters, so writing every day won't be hard at all.**

**Thank you to everyone that's reviewed so far! I really appreciate! If you haven't reviewed yet, I would love it if you did!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	5. Lintoln

"I never knew it could be so hot in Larkin," Francis dramatically sighed and tried to fan himself.

"I didn't, either," Antonio slumped against the wall of a hut.

"Where are we again?" Francis asked.

"Lintoln," Antonio informed. Peter had told them where Arthur had gotten kidnapped and the carriage was still there, with no clues anywhere around it. So they went to the nearest town to try to search around. Peter had to stay back in Klinster to try to smooth things over without a king for a few days.

"Mathieu," Francis looked over to the third person with them, who perked his head up at the sound of his name. He was standing where he always did, next to Francis. The poor kid was so shy, he never talked. And, when he did, no one could ever hear him. Francis had saved him from this dump of a territory long ago, when he was just 10 and Francis was 20.

"Oui?" Mathew asked quietly and Francis chuckled as that little curl that came out of the part of his hair bobbed when his head moved.

"Would you mind finding something remotely close to a bar in this horrible town?" Francis sighed.

"We're supposed to be looking for Arthur!" Antonio snapped at him just as Mathew trotted off.

"What is the harm in having a few drinks?" Francis asked.

"You shouldn't use Mason as your personal servant, either," Antonio sighed.

"His name is Mathieu, mon ami," Francis stated. "And I treat him the same way you treat your precious Lovino."

"He is different!" Antonio defended. "He is mi tomate…"

"And everyone calls me the pervert," Francis sighed.

"But I would do nothing to hurt my little Lovi," Antonio smiled.

"And I treat Mathieu with the same respect," Francis pointed out kindly.

"We should focus on our search," Antonio reminded. "I'm sure Ivan's already started his search on horse."

"Who invited him?" Francis grumbled. "He ruins my sexiness."

"Even someone like him realizes how important Klinster is in this world," Antonio stated. "And how it is very important we get Arthur, its only ruler, back."

"But too much searching might ruin my gorgeousness," Francis complained.

"I'm going to ask around if anyone's seen Arthur," Antonio sighed and walked off.

"I will go search, too," Francis walked away, but he had a sinking feeling that he was forgetting someone…

* * *

"So, what bloody town is this?" Arthur sighed as Alfred dragged him into another desolate town. This one looked a little more modern, though. It seemed to have shops as well as houses. But they were all still poorly built out of mud and wood and the road still looked like patches of dirt.

"One of the most bustling towns in all of Larkin," Alfred said happily. "Lintoln."

"Lovely," Arthur rolled his eyes and adjusted his hood to make sure it hid his eyebrows with no problem. "You know, it's occurred to me that you say the forest is magical and that it doesn't like to be angered. But it seems like every town in this territory is in the middle of the forest."

"That's because it moves so we can co-exist happily," Alfred pointed out.

"Right, because that is perfectly logical," Arthur muttered sarcastically.

Just like in the last town, people came up to Alfred and he happily conversed with them and they said nothing about the shackles between the two. It felt all perfectly normal and Arthur was beginning to notice the trend of money and taxes constantly being picked up in conversation.

The two were passing what looked like something that could barely pass as a hat stall, when Alfred suddenly stopped. It had been a while since Gilbert had separated from them in search of a bar, so they were on their own.

"Shit," Alfred muttered and quickly turned around, guiding Arthur close to the hat stall. He grabbed something Arthur couldn't see and held it behind his back. "Hey, I have a quick question for you."

"What's wrong, Alfred?" Arthur sighed.

"I just have a simple question to ask you," he said calmly, but his head was constantly looking over to where they were before.

"What are you up to?" Arthur asked.

"Answer the question and I'll tell you," Alfred said simply, still looking over.

"Fine, what is your 'oh, so important' question?" Arthur snapped.

"Are you gay?" Alfred asked and Arthur just stared at him.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Do you like men?" Alfred rephrased the question.

"What the bloody hell has that got to do with anything?" Arthur yelled.

"Sh," Alfred hissed quickly. "Answer the question."

"Why do you need to know something as personal as that?" Arthur snapped, not lowering his voice.

"Because it's important, now answer the question," Alfred pressed and looked over again.

"Will you tell me what is going on?" Arthur asked.

"Answer the question," Alfred urged.

"Why?" Arthur snapped.

"Answer the damn question!" Alfred snapped.

"Fine!" Arthur gave up trying to understand Alfred's mind. "Yes, I'm gay. Now, what does that have to do with anything!"

"Because this would be really awkward if you weren't," Alfred chuckled.

"What the bloody hell are you t-" Arthur was cut off by something pressing onto his lips and something plopping onto his head. Arthur's eyes widened and he saw Alfred's face pressed up against his. He felt his hands on the back of his head, keeping him there.

He was about to scream and struggle to get away from him, when he heard a familiar voice behind Alfred.

"Ah, l'amour," Francis' voice sighed and Arthur could hear him walking off.

Finally, Alfred separated them.

"Was that Francis?" Arthur said in shock.

"That's all you're worried about right now?" Alfred asked.

"The damn frog's come to rescue me…" Arthur muttered. He moved to walk towards where he heard Francis walk off to, but Alfred stopped him.

"Woah, woah, woah, wait," Alfred said quickly. "The way you just talked about him, you don't really like him, yeah?"

"Can't say I like him at all," Arthur muttered. "But, right now, I'm willing to accept help from anyone."

"But, do you want someone like him to be able to hold this over you for your entire life, right?" Alfred tried. The more Arthur thought about it, the more it made sense. If Arthur let Francis save him, there would be no way to get around Francis tormenting him about it for eternity. Nothing was worth that.

"Fine," Arthur sighed and used his left hand to wipe his mouth. "But what the bloody hell did you kiss me for?"

"Only way I could think of that could hide you," Alfred smiled with relief and took off what he put on Arthur's head. It turned out to be some kind of women's hat.

"You made me look like a girl!" Arthur yelled at him and tried pounding his left hand into Alfred's chest, but that did nothing to him.

"So, I'm just checking here," Alfred said as he put the hat back on the cart. "But you will work with me to make sure Francis doesn't find you."

"For now," Arthur stated. "I'm not desperate enough to need Francis to save me yet."

"Good," Alfred smiled. "Hey, wait, Francis is the king of…Elbin, right?"

"Yes, why?" Arthur asked.

Alfred's face suddenly brightened. "That means Mattie's here!" Alfred started running, lurching Arthur with him. "You gotta help me find him!"

"What does he even look like?" Arthur stumbled trying to keep up with Alfred.

"He looks just like me," Alfred said happily. "Or…he should. I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in years!"

"Great, another Alfred," Arthur muttered, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Alfred desperately ran through the town, not caring that Arthur was complaining behind him. If Francis was here, Mathew was definitely here, too. After all, he was practically kidnapped by Francis years ago.

"Will you slow down, Alfred!" Arthur snapped and Alfred came to a stop.

"Where do you think he would be…" Alfred muttered, mainly to himself.

"If he's anything like you, then he would probably be at a bar or something, where all the idiots are," Arthur snorted.

"I wasn't asking you," Alfred sighed and started looking around frantically. This might be his only chance to see him and he couldn't miss it.

"Then why did you ask the question out loud?" Arthur asked.

"Shut up," Alfred said back and then something caught his eye. "There!" He started running again, ignoring the pain as the shackles cut into his skin because Arthur wasn't running fast enough.

Alfred quickly rounded a corner and nearly ran face-first into the back of someone's head if he hadn't stopped in time. He felt Arthur ram into his back. Alfred kept looking around quickly, ignoring Arthur yelling at him for being a wanker again. Alfred still didn't know what that was. And then he saw it again.

Alfred ran up to the person from behind and hugged him with all his might, dragging Arthur with him. "Mattie!" Alfred called out happily.

"D-Do I know you?" the victim of Alfred's hug stuttered quietly. Alfred let him go and let him turn around. Alfred couldn't contain his smile, he was so happy. The second the smaller boy looked at Alfred, his eyes widened in shock. "A-Alfred?"

"Why are you still so quiet?" Alfred pulled him into another hug, but this time Mathew hugged him back.

"Mind explaining some of this to me before my arm falls off?" Arthur sighed.

"Sorry, Artie," Alfred chuckled and released Mathew. Arthur winced, rubbing his wrist and glaring at Alfred.

"Is that King-" Mathew started, eyes going wide, but Alfred covered his mouth.

"Yes, and please don't give it away," Alfred said quickly. "I have a plan."

Mathew moved Alfred's hands away. "Okay…?" he sighed. "Why are you two here?"

"It's not like I want to be," Arthur scoffed, rubbing his wrist. "And I think Alfred just made me bleed."

"You know Francis is here to search for him, right?" Mathew asked.

"Got that covered, dude," Alfred said happily.

"So, Alfred, would you mind finally introducing me to your duplicate?" Arthur sighed.

"This is Mattie, my twin," Alfred smiled. "I haven't seen him since we were 10!"

"Haven't I seen you before, Mathew?" Arthur asked politely. "You seem really familiar."

"Yes," Mathew nodded. "I usually stay around Francis."

"Right, I believe I've seen you a lot," Arthur said.

"Don't tell me Francy Pants has done anything to you," Alfred said, looking over his brother.

"I'm fine, Alfred," Mathew smiled.

"Hey, I've heard the stories of Francis," Alfred said. "He's some kind of creepy pervert, right?"

"Yes, I can say that's true," Arthur muttered.

"The minute I become…" Alfred paused for a second. He couldn't really say King, could he? "I mean the minute Larkin is free, I'm gonna make sure that I get you to come back."

"Is that why you kidnapped him?" Mathew asked quietly.

"I got a plan, don't worry," Alfred smiled.

"Ah, Mathieu, there you are!" the three froze at the sound of Francis' voice.

"Gotta go," Alfred said quickly and started running, dragging Arthur along. "Bye, Mattie!" he called back and they entered the forest.

* * *

Mathew watched as his brother and the kidnapped king ran into the forest together.

"Mathieu," Francis panted like he had just been running and Mathew turned around towards him. "I'm so sorry I forgot about you again."

"It wasn't a problem, Francis," Mathew said happily.

"Bon," Francis sighed.

"So, did you find Arthur yet?" Mathew asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Non," Francis shook his head. "I think I am going to follow Antoine at the bar soon."

"Um, okay," Mathew muttered. He never really liked going to bars with Francis.

"Tu es adorable," Francis messed up Mathew's hair slightly and started walking. Mathew followed.

"M-merci," Mathew replied, remembering the language Francis had taught him a while ago.

Mathew stole a glance back at the forest just in time to see Alfred waving good-bye. Mathew waved back while Francis was looking away.

* * *

**I'm back! And I climbed a 14er!**

**So, Mathew got to be introduced for real in this chapter. He had been mentioned before, but now it's for real. I would love to say more, but I'm exhausted from that 14er, so you'll just have to deal with this.**

**Thank you to everyone that's reviewed so far! I really appreciate it! If you haven't reviewed yet, I would love it if you did!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	6. Trees

"I never would have guessed that lad could be your twin," Arthur scoffed as he watched Alfred wave towards his brother. "He's just so nice and polite and you're just…you.

"Don't need your compliments," Alfred grinned slyly towards him. "Well, it looks like we can't stay in town. Just in case Francis recognizes you."

"In a way it's a good thing I've never been here before," Arthur chuckled. "At least no one recognizes me."

"You know, I didn't expect anyone to come looking for you so soon," Alfred started walking. "Why anyone would actually miss you is beyond me."

"Oh, shut up," Arthur rolled his eyes as he walked behind Alfred. "I am very important to making sure this world runs correctly."

"By doing what?" Alfred snorted. "By telling it what to do? All you do is sit in your castle all day and order people around."

"I do more than that," Arthur snapped.

"Oh, right, I forgot you go to parties in the middle of wars," Alfred glanced behind him.

"You just don't understand what comes with being in charge of an empire," Arthur scoffed and stared down at the ground.

"Is cutting down trees of a magical forest a part of that?" Alfred asked smugly.

"Yes, it is when it's necessary," Arthur sighed, looking back up.

"That probably doesn't make the forest happy, dude," Alfred laughed.

"What are a few bloody trees going to do?" Arthur scoffed. Just to prove his point, he kicked his foot against a nearby tree as they walked.

"You shouldn't do that," Alfred said pointedly.

"A tree can't do anything to me," Arthur stated.

"I warned you…" Alfred sighed in a sing-song voice.

"Warned me about wh-" Arthur stopped when he felt something hard wrap around his waist. He quickly looked down and saw that it was a branch. He was about to snap some comment towards Alfred, but he was suddenly lurched into the air. His right wrist burst into pain when the shackles dug into Arthur's wrist from Alfred's weight.

"Woah!" Alfred laughed. Arthur glared at him and noticed that even he was wincing at the pain in the shackles.

"Alfred!" Arthur yelled at him. "Do something!"

"What?" Alfred looked up at him. "You just expect me to do everything for you?"

"Well, I can't quite do anything right now!" Arthur snapped. He tried to use his left hand to push himself out of the branch, but thorns suddenly pressed into his palm, making him retract his hand.

"You gotta make me do everything, don't you," Alfred sighed and started swinging himself. "You know, if it weren't for me being attached to you, I wouldn't be doing anything right now."

"And whose fault is that?" Arthur glared.

"Shut up, I'm helping you," Alfred said. His swinging had succeeded in getting him close to the tree, where he used his right hand to grab onto a lower branch to get him to stay up. Arthur sighed in relief at the weight lifted off his wrist.

"You might have broken my wrist with your fat arse," Arthur commented.

"It's all muscle, sweetie," Alfred remarked as he started climbing the tree one-handed. "Hurt my wrist too, just so you know."

"You know, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess," Arthur muttered as Alfred reached the branch wrapped around Arthur.

"Just be thankful it's not being violent," Alfred sighed as he sat down on the branch.

When he didn't move, Arthur snapped, "Are you going to move or are you just going to sit there?"

"A thought occurred to me on my way up," Alfred smirked. "The only harm this was doing to me was hurting my wrist. Now that I'm safe from that, it's only bugging you."

"You have got to be kidding me," Arthur gaped at him. He better not be doing what he thought he was doing.

"How's about you give me proper incentive to rescue you?" Alfred started kicking his legs.

"Alfred!" Arthur snapped and a thorn went into his side. Not enough to break the skin, probably, but enough to hurt. A lot. "Ow!" he winced.

"You should give me a compliment," Alfred smiled.

"Why should I?" Arthur snapped, still wincing at his side.

"Because the tree's only gonna keep hurting you worse," Alfred grinned. "And I'm the only thing around that might be willing to help you."

"There is no way in Hell that I would compliment you," Arthur glared at him and a thorn went into his back.

"You should hurry up before it draws blood," Alfred replied smartly. Through his wincing, Arthur was still able to glare at him. "I'm waiting," Alfred chimed.

"I can't compliment you," Arthur stated, wincing as another thorn hit his side.

"Then act like a damsel in distress and call me a hero," Alfred winked.

Arthur glared at him for a while, but then he looked down and closed his eyes. "Help me, hero," he muttered quietly.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you very well," Alfred chuckled and Arthur glared at him again. "Make sure to add feeling, too."

"I hate you…" Arthur grumbled, but gasped in pain as he felt another thorn. "Help me, my bloody hero," he said through clenched teeth.

"Without the insult, thank you," Alfred smiled.

"I'm not calling you a hero three times in a row," Arthur snapped. He felt the torn in his back pierce his skin and Arthur curled into himself in pain. "Dammit, Alfred! Help me!" he pleaded.

"That'll work," Alfred said and Arthur felt the weight shift on the branch. Arthur glanced up and noticed that Alfred wasn't there anymore. He looked around for him, and found that he was dangling from the branch using his hands to cling onto it. He was moving around to the front of the loop of the branch.

"You know, I feel like adding here that even the forests would benefit from Larkin's independence," Alfred stated as he worked. "Like not getting cut down and shit like that."

"What do you plan on doing?" Arthur asked him curiously, ignoring his previous comment.

"Kinda working on a limb here," Alfred grunted as he tried to pull himself up. Eventually, when he was able to pull himself up, Arthur found that Alfred's face was right up, in front of his own. Arthur stared into those sapphire orbs for a while, nearly getting lost in them. They were such a deep blue, Arthur could have sworn he was staring deep into the ocean. He could have stayed like that forever, for all he cared. He felt a fluttering in his stomach and all he wanted was to lean forward ever so slightly to close the gap between…

When he realized what he was doing, though, he swiftly looked away, his face turning a deep red.

"What do you even intend on doing?" he tried to keep his tone even.

"Uh…" Alfred stuttered for a second before he brought a coherent thought out. "I-I'm just gonna try to pull the branch off of you."

"Well, you should hurry," Arthur winced as another thorn went into his side.

"Workin' on it," Alfred grunted and Arthur could feel the branch's grip loosen around him. Before he knew it, he was falling down to the ground, where he fell on his back, hard. He also felt something heavy crushing him.

He closed his eyes tightly in pain before he finally opened them, finding Alfred lying on top of him.

"Get the hell off me!" Arthur ordered. He tried to sit up, but couldn't because Alfred weighed too much.

"Sorry," Alfred groaned. "You're just so boney, you didn't do much to break my fall."

"Well, get off and you'll be more comfortable," Arthur snapped, though there was a small part of him that wanted Alfred to stay. He quickly shoved that part away, deep in his mind.

"I can't," Alfred chuckled.

"What the bloody hell do you mean you can't?" Arthur yelled.

"I mean I can't move," Alfred stated.

"Sure you can't," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, I'm stuck," Alfred said. "My arms and legs won't move."

"What?" Arthur asked. He moved his head to look over at Alfred's right arm and saw that it was pinned to the ground by something that looked like… "A tree root?"

"Great, the forest is still mad at you," Alfred sighed.

"I hardly believe this is my fault!" Arthur argued. "All I did was kick a tree!"

"And it's a tree root!" Alfred stated. "It's still mad at you!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do about it?" Arthur scoffed. "Tell it I'm sorry?"

"The only thing you've done since you've gotten here is diss the forest," Alfred said. "Give it a compliment."

"Why does a forest need a compliment?" Arthur asked.

"Everything likes to feel good about itself," Alfred sighed. "Just give it a compliment."

"Well, currently, all it's doing is bothering you," Arthur stated.

"Oh, I can easily bother you like this," Alfred grinned.

"What are you getting at?" Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"This," Alfred said and then slammed his head against Arthur's.

"Bloody hell!" Arthur winced. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Alfred asked and Arthur noticed that his voice was now obnoxiously loud. "I'm bugging you!" He slammed his head again.

"Stop doing that!" Arthur yelled. "It bloody hurts!"

"I could sing," Alfred smiled.

"Dear God, please don't," Arthur groaned

"_La, la, la, la, la, la, la!_" Alfred sang loudly, changing his horrible pitch with each note.

"Shut up, Alfred!" Arthur yelled.

"_La, la, la, la, la, la, la!_" Alfred repeated, his pitch getting even worse.

"Fine!" Arthur snapped, getting Alfred to shut up. "The forest is bloody beautiful! Now will you get the hell off me?"

"I'd be happy to, if I could," Alfred sighed. "Give it a real compliment, genius."

"This forest is gorgeous," Arthur stated and, soon, Alfred shoved himself off him to Arthur's right.

"So, do you believe its magic now?" Alfred asked.

"I guess I have to," Arthur sat upright. "I always thought magic forests were just in fairy tales…"

"Yeah, that's what everyone thinks," Alfred sighed, looking up at the sky. "Fairy tales just don't exist after a while, though, don't they?"

"That's because their childish and people can't live as children forever," Arthur stated.

"And maybe that's why the world is so screwed up," Alfred stood up, making Arthur stand up, too.

"It's how we get things done, Alfred," Arthur stated as Alfred started walking again. "If we thought like kids all the time nothing would happen."

"Is that such a bad thing sometimes?" Alfred hummed.

"You make no sense sometimes," Arthur sighed and then he felt his stomach rumble. "Alfred, I'm hungry."

"Yeah, and what do you want me to do about it?" Alfred asked.

"You kidnapped me! Therefore you should supply food," Arthur stated.

"So, is this the longest you've gone without food or something?" Alfred laughed.

"Yes, it is," Arthur stated. "And I'm starving, so let me eat."

"I could give you a knife and see if you could hunt by yourself," Alfred offered.

"I'm not hunting! I can't kill an animal!" Arthur snapped.

"Oh, don't worry," Alfred said. "You kill thousands when you cut down this forest for clothes."

"Some clothes are made from animal skins, Alfred," Arthur sighed.

"Yeah, and I try to stay away from those at all costs," Alfred glanced over his shoulder.

"Why are you always so difficult?" Arthur groaned.

"Why are you such a prick?" Alfred asked.

"I am not a prick," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"And who was the one asking for food?" Alfred asked.

"Shut up," Arthur sighed. He hadn't noticed Alfred had stopped walking, so he ran into the back of his head. "Ow! Warn me when you stop next time!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" Alfred scoffed and turned his head to the right. "I think I found food."

"Isn't it dangerous or something to hunt animals in a magic forest?" Arthur asked.

"The animals aren't magic," Alfred laughed. "That'd be stupid."

"Right, stupid," Arthur glared at the back of his head.

"Here, how 'bout I teach you how to hunt first hand?" Alfred asked as he pulled his knife out.

"Why would I be interested in learning how to hunt?" Arthur asked. "I have no need to."

"Well, what if you get kidnapped again?" Alfred asked. "You may need to know how to hunt then because the next person may not be as nice as I am."

"I would hardly call you nice," Arthur snapped.

"Well, I saved you from that tree, didn't I?" Alfred smiled back at him. "And I'm getting you food. Oh, after this, I'll teach you how to make a fire!"

"Alfred…" Arthur groaned as he was dragged by Alfred deeper into the forest.

* * *

**Hehehe...finally we get a real USUK moment. And notice how it happens now that Gilbert's gone? I totally didn't mean for that to happen, it just kinda did. **

**Anywho...if you like this story, please tell me how much you do. It truley means a lot!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	7. Sleep

"I'm not eating a squirrel, Alfred," Arthur crossed his arms in front of himself.

"Well, it's either this or starve," Alfred laughed. They were both sitting down in front of a fire Alfred forced Arthur to make. Alfred was trying to hand Arthur a cooked squirrel he hunted down on a stick.

"It's a squirrel," Arthur stared at it in disgust.

"It's food," Alfred rolled his eyes. "Would you prefer to eat a deer? Those are our choices. Sorry it's not the royal food you're used to."

"It's a squirrel," Arthur repeated.

"It's not like it's a rare animal or anything!" Alfred sighed. "You're being so difficult!"

"Because it's a squirrel!" Arthur kept staring at it.

"Look, people here eat things like this all the time," Alfred stated, rubbing his forehead. "When you have to hunt for your food, you take what you can get. Now please, just eat the damn squirrel!"

"But, it's a squirrel," Arthur said.

"Don't make me shove this down your throat!" Alfred snapped.

"It's a bloody squirrel! I'm not eating a squirrel!" Arthur yelled back.

"Are you two fighting over squirrels now?" Gilbert's voice asked as he stepped into the clearing where they had the fire set up.

"Artie won't eat because he's being picky!" Alfred complained.

"My name is Arthur. And I won't eat because it's a wild animal!" Arthur yelled.

"All the meat you eat comes from a wild animal!" Alfred groaned.

"But this is a squirrel!" Arthur sighed.

"So, where have you been?" Alfred looked up at Gilbert.

"I met some awesome people at the bar," Gilbert shrugged. "Nowhere near as awesome as me, but still pretty cool."

"Sweet," Alfred said. "Me and Artie just got attacked by a tree and I taught him how to make a fire."

"My name is Arthur," Arthur rolled his eyes. The git should get it right eventually…

"So he finally made the forest that mad, huh?" Gilbert chuckled as he sat down on the other side of the fire.

"And I'm pretty sure my back is still bleeding," Arthur groaned.

"I offered to look at it," Alfred shrugged.

"I highly doubt you can administer proper first-aid," Arthur stated.

"You underestimate me," Alfred grinned. "Now, I'm going to make a deal with you. You will either eat the squirrel out of your own will or I will shove it down your throat right now."

"I am not eating a squirrel!" Arthur snapped.

"Fine, then," Alfred smirked. Before Arthur knew what was happening, he was pinned to the ground by Alfred. Both of his hands pinned above his head by one of Alfred's hands. "You are going to eat!"

"I'm not eating a-" Arthur was cut off by a small piece of squirrel meat being shoved in his mouth.

"Eat the damn squirrel!" Alfred yelled as Arthur desperately tried to get out of Alfred's grip, to no avail. Arthur was starting to feel suffocated with Alfred sitting on top of him. "Swallow it and I'll get off."

Arthur furiously shook his head and Alfred covered his mouth with his right hand.

"Eat the squirrel," Alfred ordered and Arthur glared at him. He took a deep breath through his nose and then, wincing, swallowed the meat. "Did you swallow it?" Alfred asked and Arthur nodded. "Finally," Alfred sighed as he climbed off Arthur and they both sat upright. He handed Arthur the squirrel on a stick. "So, how was it?" he asked as Arthur took the squirrel.

"Disgusting," Arthur stated.

"If you don't want every bite to be like that, I suggest you start eating it," Alfred said. Arthur glared at him for a second, before taking another bite of it. "Good."

"Well, I can see you two are getting along better," Gilbert laughed.

"I would hardly consider this getting along," Arthur sighed, staring at the cooked squirrel. He was warming up to that taste of it now…

"He is getting kinda annoying," Alfred sighed.

"Oh, _I'm_ the annoying one here?" Arthur glared at him. "You bloody kidnapped me!"

"And I'm also feeding you," Alfred stated. "Be thankful."

"For feeding me a squirrel?" Arthur asked bluntly.

"Just finish it," Alfred sighed irritably and Arthur took another bite of the squirrel.

"As long as I don't have to deal with him," Gilbert laughed. "I'll be fine."

"So, who did you meet at the bar?" Arthur asked half-heartedly.

"Pretty sure their names were Antonio and Francis," Gilbert stated and Arthur nearly choked on his squirrel.

"What?" Arthur snapped.

"Don't tell me King Antonio's looking for you, too," Alfred groaned.

"I didn't know they cared that much about me to search," Arthur muttered.

"So, I was just drinking with kings," Gilbert said proudly. "Awesome!"

"Gil, this means our chances of getting caught is getting higher," Alfred snapped.

"Well, that might be good news for me," Arthur grinned.

"We already have a deal with Francis," Alfred stated. "How about we make another one with Antonio?"

"Antonio's not that much of a twat," Arthur stated. "I don't hate him quite as much as I do Francis."

"It does make a lot of sense now," Gilbert laughed. "Francis was complaining about someone a lot at the bar. Must've been His Highness."

"Why the hell would Francis complain about me?" Arthur asked.

"Hell if I know," Gilbert shrugged. "Something about how you hate him and ditched him."

"Why would he care about something like that…" Arthur stopped for a second before he realized something. "Shit…Oh, bloody hell, no…"

"What?" Alfred scoffed.

"I ditched him at what was supposed to be an engagement party," Arthur rubbed his temples. "The only reason he would be upset about that is if he actually loved me…"

"You were about to be engaged to Francis?" Alfred snorted. "Good thing I saved ya then!"

"Why were you about to be engaged to him?" Gilbert asked.

"Complications," Arthur sighed with a wave of his hand. "It was to merge the empires because there's no one left in my family line to take over and Francis does…"

"No one left on your family line?" Gilbert laughed. "Why not just pick a girl and get a kid?"

"Um…" Arthur looked down at the ground.

"Artie's gay!" Alfred announced loudly and Arthur felt a deep blush spread across his face.

"Thank you, Alfred," Arthur said through clenched teeth.

"Not gonna ask how you know that," Gilbert chuckled.

"It's actually a funny story!" Alfred laughed and was about to say more, but Arthur cut him off.

"Alfred, shut up," he glared at him.

"Fine," Alfred chuckled. "As long as you finish the squirrel."

"I hate you," Arthur sighed as he took another bite. Gilbert just laughed.

* * *

Alfred sighed happily as he leaned back in the grass, watching the stars through the tree line. Arthur had finally fallen asleep a while ago, so he was given some actual peace and quiet. He could feel a nice breeze blow through, ruffling his hair. It was nice and relaxing, Alfred had to admit. He couldn't even try to hide the smile on his face as he heard the fire crackle at his feet.

And then he felt something on his left arm. Alfred slowly moved his head to look over and found that Arthur was curled against him, clinging to his arm, and had his head leaning against Alfred's shoulder. He had this peaceful smile on his face, like he was having a good dream.

Alfred got this weird feeling at the pit of his stomach, though, that made him squirm away from Arthur slightly. He was about to shove him off with his right hand, when Gilbert hissed quietly at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to get him off of me," Alfred replied quietly.

"This is the first time we've gotten him to sleep since you knocked him out," Gilbert hissed. "I don't want him complaining later that he's tired, making us stop. Don't wake him up."

"But it feels weird…" Alfred complained, looking back at Arthur. He had this feeling before, when he was saving Arthur from the tree. When their faces were practically pressed against each other. He also felt it during that weird kiss. He didn't like this feeling at all. It always made his face heat up and his stomach churn.

"Deal with it," Gilbert stated. "If you wake him up, I'm pretty sure he won't be too happy. Just let him sleep and maybe he'll actually stop being so much of a prick tomorrow."

"But…" Alfred started, but went quiet when he saw Arthur shift in his sleep. He wished he knew what that feeling was in the pit of his stomach was. So he could figure out a way to get rid of it. "Fine…" Alfred grumbled. "But only because I like him better when he's quiet."

"Sure, that's it," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "I'll keep watch again."

"I know you slept all of last night," Alfred stated.

"Because His Highness was doing my job for me," Gilbert laughed as he walked off, into the forest.

Alfred looked back at Arthur. That small smile on his face sent a shiver down Alfred's spine. He didn't know what that feeling was, but he just wanted it to go away.

* * *

_"Mummy?" Arthur pulled on the bottom of his mother's dress to get her attention. He was so small, that was the only way he could get her to realize he was there._

_"Yes Arthur?" his mother looked down at him with a large smile on her face. Her long, red hair accented to the beauty on her face._

_"My brothers and Francis are making fun of me again," Arthur sniffled._

_"Oh, sweetie, it's okay," his mother stooped down to pick him up, still with a warm smile on her face. Arthur curled happily against his mother. He felt so safe and secure in her arms. "Was it about your friends again?"_

_"Yeah…" Arthur nodded sadly._

_"You know they can't see them because they don't deserve to, right?" his mother asked and Arthur looked at her in wonder._

_"Really?" Arthur asked._

_"You're friends are all wonderful and pure," his mother smiled and Arthur watched as several of his fairy friends flew near her head. It was truly a beautiful sight. "Only something that stays pure can see them. Those four would never be able to see them if they tried."_

_"But they keep on making fun of me for it," Arthur grumbled._

_"I didn't raise you to care about what others think," his mother said softly, using one hand to run her fingers through Arthur's hair. "You made the friends you have now because they understand you and care about you. They love you the way you are now."_

_"How can you tell?" Arthur asked innocently._

_"Because they told me," his mother giggled. "The fairies have taken quite a liking to you. And the way I see the unicorn look at you, I can tell you will be best friends forever."_

_"You really think so?" Arthur smiled, his past sadness completely gone._

_"I do," she smiled and started tickling Arthur's stomach, causing him to laugh._

_"Stop that!" Arthur managed out through fits of laughter._

_"Fine," his mother smiled and kissed Arthur's forehead. "But you have to promise me something."_

_"What?" Arthur blinked up at her._

_"You need to promise that you'll stay pure forever," she smiled softly. "So that you will always have your friends. No matter what."_

_"Okay!" Arthur nodded happily. "They're my best friends, I would never want to lose them! I'm gonna be older than you and I'll still be able to see them!"_

_"Wonderful," his mother laughed. "It's important that you keep that state of mind."_

_"You know the fairies taught me a new spell!" Arthur said proudly._

_"Would you like to show it to me?" she asked kindly and Arthur nodded furiously. His mother set him down gently._

_"Okay," Arthur took a deep breath and, holding out his hand, recited the spell the fairies taught him in his mind like he was told to do. When Arthur opened his eyes, a small flame was dancing across his palm._

_"That's beautiful, Arthur," his mother smiled at him and Arthur's smile grew dramatically._

_"Thanks!" Arthur giggled happily as the flame disappeared and his mother started patting his head. "Hey, now I have a way of getting revenge on them!" Arthur discovered excitedly and ran from the room to show his new spell to his brothers and Francis._

_The sound of his mother's laughter echoed throughout the dream, making Arthur just that much happier to remember his lost mother._

* * *

"Mathieu, how about you sleep with me tonight?" Francis asked with a smirk.

"Um, n-no, thank you," Mathew muttered.

"Don't traumatize the poor kid," Antonio laughed and messed up Mathew's hair, making Mathew squeak.

"Oui, because I am so traumatizing," Francis rolled his eyes. They had managed to find a household willing to let the three sleep in their one spare room with two beds.

"Maybe that's why Arthur hates you," Antonio teased.

"Se taire," Francis snapped at him. He had already complained to that stranger at the bar about Arthur and he didn't want to talk anymore or he might break down.

"Can't understand your language, amigo," Antonio grinned.

"Shut up," Francis groaned and laid face-down on a random bed.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Francis," Mathew muttered and Francis felt something pat his back.

"Merci, Mathieu," Francis rolled over, not caring that a few locks of his long hair covered his face. "But that does not help."

"Je suis désolé," Mathew said quietly. "Maybe saving him will make him see otherwise?"

"Doubtful," Antonio scoffed and Francis turned his head to glare at his best friend, who was now sitting down on the other bed.

"I am not in the mood, Antoine," Francis sighed.

"Do you prefer to bicker with Arthur?" Antonio teased.

"Toni…" Mathew sighed disappointedly.

"I will get him back safe and sound and then we will see what he thinks of me, d'accord?" Francis glared at him.

"It would be hilarious if Ivan got there before you," Antonio chuckled.

"You're words are very encouraging," Francis sighed.

"Well, bonne nuit, everyone," Mathew quickly stood up and put out the candle lighting up the room.

"Buenas noches," Antonio sighed.

Francis glared at the darkness for a while, thinking about Arthur. He had to be doing okay, right? He hoped whoever kidnapped him was at least taking good care of him. If he got Arthur back and he had a scratch on him, so help him, that man would be dead. No matter who he was.

Francis sighed, staring at the ceiling through the darkness. Arthur would never love him, would he?

* * *

**This one was kinda long. Because I noticed that thoes three hadn't been in here for a while and they needed a spot just after Arthur's dream. Because I'm nice and they need some spotlight. They get a lot later, though. Trust me. And we also have some more USUK fluff up there. So adorable!**

**Reviews are the bestest kind of love and it is always well appreciated! So, please, drop a little review. Even if it's just a word, it's well recieved.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	8. Taxes

Arthur blurrily opened his eyes. He felt warm and comfy and didn't feel like moving quite yet. He was curling up against something, but he couldn't see it yet through all the sleep in his eyes. But it felt nice…

He curled a little deeper against it, feeling safe as he felt that it was wrapped around him. For the first time in quite a while, he could actually say that he felt happy and comfortable. Even in the castle, in his bed made out of feathers, which was constantly replaced with the seasons, he never felt like this. There was always something blocking him from feeling true comfort. Until now.

Eventually, Arthur's eyes did clear up, and he found that his head was leaning on someone's shoulder. With his sleep clouded mind, he didn't think much of it. He heard a light snore from the person he was leaning on and it sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it… Slightly curious, Arthur moved his head up slightly so he could see the face of the person. He found Alfred's. And then Arthur noticed that it was his arm that was wrapped around his waist.

For a second, Arthur hummed in contentment and curled in a little more. Then his brain registered just what he was doing.

Quickly, Arthur shoved Alfred away as hard as he could and sat upright with his back facing Alfred. His face was burning and he refused to turn around.

"Woah!" Alfred exclaimed soon after being pushed. "Sumtin' wrong, Artie?"

"Nothing is wrong," Arthur huffed, far too embarrassed, but still managing to keep his voice from wavering. He was definitely awake now.

"Fine," Alfred muttered. "Then I'm going back to sleep…" Arthur heard him doze off and shakily turned around, towards Alfred. Why was he so damn tempted to go back to the position they were in before? Alfred just looked so…peaceful in his sleep. It was actually kind of relaxing to watch him as he went back to sleep on his back, his arm slightly extended because of Arthur's new distance.

Arthur looked away quickly when he heard rustling in the bushes.

"I see His Highness is up," Gilbert's voice chuckled as he walked into their makeshift clearing. Arthur muttered something even he couldn't understand in response. "Have a nice sleep?" He sounded smug, Arthur noticed. Like he knew how they were sleeping.

"It was rather uncomfortable…" Arthur mumbled.

"Sure," Gilbert chuckled. Arthur heard him walking towards Alfred and glanced over his shoulder. "Rise and shine! We gotta keep moving if we don't want the other kings to catch up."

"Gil…" Alfred grumbled, looking up at him. "Let me sleep!"

"Up," Gilbert ordered and walked away. Alfred sat up and stuck his tongue out at Gilbert. Arthur almost laughed at how childish it looked, but he caught himself and turned around quickly. "Even Arthur is up before you."

"I noticed when he pushed me," Alfred complained. He obviously didn't know about their position.

"I pushed you because you were snoring," Arthur snapped and Gilbert just started laughing.

"Let's move," Gilbert said when he calmed down. "I think today's tax day and I don't want our guest to miss it."

"If I gotta," Alfred sighed and he practically rolled onto his feet. Arthur obediently stood up after him, keeping quiet. "So…is something wrong with him?" Alfred jabbed his thumb in the direction of Arthur. "He hasn't even said a sarcastic comment towards me yet."

"Is that really all you think I do?" Arthur snapped at him. "Sit on my throne and use sarcasm?"

"That's all I think you're capable of," Alfred stretched, making Arthur's hand move up in the air.

"At least I don't murder squirrels," Arthur replied.

"That was food, dude," Alfred groaned.

"I could barely eat one," Arthur stated. "You scarfed down about five!"

"There's plenty of squirrels to go around," Alfred said.

"That is appalling," Arthur gaped at him.

"Now that everyone's back to normal," Gilbert sighed impatiently. "We should keep moving."

"Right, tax day!" Alfred marched forward happily and Arthur marveled at how quickly he woke up.

"Why do you want to show me tax day?" Arthur asked as he trudged behind Alfred in his regular spot.

"It's a part of my plan, more or less," Alfred shrugged.

"More or less," Arthur repeated.

"I've just been kinda winging it the whole time, hoping some good things came along," Alfred pointed out. "And they have."

"Joy," Arthur muttered sarcastically.

"There's that sarcasm!" Alfred smirked happily.

"I will kill you," Arthur stated. He inwardly sighed when he realized he didn't mean it.

"Oh, come on! You know you love me!" Alfred looked back at him.

"I-I do not!" Arthur sputtered.

"Just a joke, kid," Gilbert chuckled behind him.

"Don't call me kid," Arthur glared back at him.

"I can call you whatever I want to," Gilbert laughed.

"You know, I was thinking," Alfred dragged Arthur's attention back to him. "Since you hate the nickname Artie so much, I came up with a new one!"

"I have a sinking feeling this one is going to be worse," Arthur sighed.

"Iggy!" Alfred announced happily.

"What the hell does that mean?" Arthur asked. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"Sure it does!" Alfred said.

"Is it even a name?" Arthur asked.

"I think so," Alfred looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is one."

"Don't call me that," Arthur stated.

"Which do you prefer, Artie or Iggy?" Alfred asked.

"Neither," Arthur stated bluntly. "You should call me by my proper name."

"But Arthur just sounds so stuffy!" Alfred complained.

"That's too bad," Arthur said. "I call you by your proper name."

"Yeah, and it bugs me," Alfred put his right hand behind his head, keeping his left hand down.

"Get used to it," Arthur glared at the back of his head.

"I kinda prefer Iggy," Gilbert said and Arthur groaned.

"Iggy it is!" Alfred laughed. "Now no one will think you're the king!"

Arthur just said nothing, glaring at Alfred the whole way.

"So, how far away is this next town?" Arthur asked after a long silence.

"Not far," Gilbert said.

"Are you getting tired of walking?" Alfred teased.

"No," Arthur grumbled. "I would just love to know when this torture will end."

"Probably a few days," Alfred hummed.

"Wonderful," Arthur sighed.

* * *

Mathew was woken up by the sound of shouting. He sat up from his side on the bed next to Francis, wondering what was going on.

"Qué está pasando?" Antonio muttered as he rolled over to try to block the noise out.

"Je ne sais pas…" Francis grumbled. "Mathieu, go see what it is."

"Oui, oui," Mathew sighed and stood up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He tried to focus on the shouting. It sounded angry…furious, actually. There was one person though, who was begging, by the sound of it. Was this a mob?

Soon, Mathew was outside of the little house and, sure enough, he saw a mob. He could even see stones being thrown. Someone rammed into his side on their way towards it. Mathew slowly walked towards it, hearing the people shouting.

"Leave!"

"I'll kill ya!"

Mathew winced as the harsh words kept coming. Eventually, he managed to squirm his way into the crowd, hardly noticed by them. He felt a few stones accidentally hit his head or shoulders on his way, but he chose to ignore that. When he got to the inner ring of the mob, he saw a kid, probably no older than 16, cowering away from everyone. He was covered in cuts and bruises from all the stones.

"Let's tar and feather him!" someone yelled and the boy looked about ready to cry. And then, throughout the yelling, Mathew heard one word that made him freeze. He felt himself get pushed back in the crowd. He was shoved until he fell backwards, onto the ground, just outside the mob.

"Mon dieu," Francis' voice muttered just behind Mathew.

"I had no idea it got this bad," Antonio muttered next to him.

"Mathieu, let's go," Francis helped Mathew stand up. Mathew stared in horror back at the mob as he heard the kid scream in pain and agony.

"Mathew, move," Antonio ordered and Mathew felt himself being shoved towards the forest.

Mathew felt a very harsh wind blow by as the shade of the forest enveloped them. That one word was still ringing in his ears. And he couldn't help but think about his brother and Arthur. Would they be safe?

That word…_Lynch_…

* * *

The second Arthur stepped out of the forest, he froze. He could hear the yelling a while away, but they had just formed into words that he could understand recently. What he saw in this new town, though, was a mob. They were enveloping a poor teenager and beating him. He even heard the word "lynch" come up.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Arthur asked.

"Tax day," Alfred stated. "The one day each month that everyone turns rabid."

"Definitely don't want your hood falling off today," Gilbert laughed.

Several people saw Alfred by now and they all rushed towards him.

"You should help us!"

"Send him away!"

"Better yet, kill him!"

For a second, Arthur thought they were talking about him, but then one of them pointed towards the kid in the mob.

"I…don't have a right to do anything with taxes," Alfred said awkwardly.

_All this over taxes?_ Arthur thought to himself. Suddenly, though, he felt a large gust of wind blow against his face. Arthur reached his hands up to secure his hood, but all he felt was his hair. He felt his eyes widen.

"Those eyebrows…"

"He's…"

"Run!" Alfred yelled and Arthur felt something tug at his wrist. He started running as fast as he could, but he did hear people yelling at him and felt them trying to grab at him.

"You're so freaking slow!" Gilbert yelled at him and Arthur felt something shove his back to make him run faster.

"Traitor!" Arthur heard someone yell and he was pretty sure that wasn't directed at him, but at Alfred.

Soon, they weren't in the town anymore, but the forest. And the yelling was muffled. Alfred stopped, panting, and Arthur turned around. There was a wall of trees right where they entered.

"I think the forest likes you now," Alfred said.

"Bloody hell…" Arthur muttered. "Who was that poor kid?"

"A tax collector," Alfred said simply.

"Who chose a teenager to do a job like that!" Arthur demanded.

"So you really don't know that part," Alfred chuckled and started walking, cuing Arthur to follow. "After a while of hardly anyone coming back from tax collecting, they gave up sending the good people. And sent those that didn't really have anything left. Orphans."

"I never approved that!" Arthur snapped.

"You might have," Alfred said. "You just don't remember."

"Why would I approve something like that?" Arthur yelled at him. He ran his left hand through his hair nervously.

"You really didn't know?" Alfred asked.

"If I knew, I would have stopped it," Arthur snapped. He was an orphan, technically. He did have to watch his family die in front of him. It was the orphans that he cared about the most. Obviously, he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"Didn't expect you to care so much," Alfred muttered.

"Yeah, well this is a learning experience for you, too," Arthur's voice wavered when he talked.

"Sorry," Alfred muttered.

"Well, this is awkward," Gilbert sighed and stretched behind them. "I imagine our king has learned his lesson for the day, right?"

"Sure," Arthur mumbled.

"I got an idea," Alfred said suddenly and he sounded actually pretty happy.

"What is it now?" Arthur glared at him.

"Well, since the forest actually likes you now," Alfred smiled back at him, "there's a spot I want to show you that I think you might like."

"And if I don't want to go?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"We're connected by a chain and I'm stronger than you," Alfred said proudly.

"Great," Arthur sighed.

* * *

**Yeah, one thing I'm gonna put in here really quick. For my Spanish and most of my French, I've used google translate. So, if it's off, please don't kill me! I have tried my hardest! To be honest, I don't like this chapter...but it was the best I could do with what was going on and stuff... So, yeah... More USUK.**

**Reviews are awesome. So you should leave one.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	9. Clearing

"So this is the magical forest everyone in Larkin has been talking about," Antonio muttered, staring at the forest.

"It's beautiful," Francis chuckled and he noticed that several red roses bloomed around his feet.

"Que?" Antonio asked, staring down at the flowers.

"It blushed," Mathew informed politely. "It liked your compliment."

"So, you have been here before?" Francis asked curiously.

"My brother and I grew up running around in the forest," Mathew smiled, patting a tree. "It liked it when he played around in it."

"That's adorable," Antonio smiled softly.

"Alfred is one of mon cher's princes now, right?" Francis asked. Mathew nodded.

"For some reason, I can imagine the kid running around in here," Antonio laughed.

"We would climb on trees until dusk," Mathew smiled. "And we would give it compliments until entire fields were filled with roses…"

Francis smiled fondly, but he felt a very small twinge of guilt. Mathew sounded so happy thinking about his time with his brother. But Francis took him away from that...

Francis kneeled down, into the roses and plucked one up from the ground. When he stood up, he walked towards Mathew, breaking off half of the stem. He stopped in front of Mathew and put the stem on top of his ear so that the rose stuck out in front of his face.

"Tu es jolie cet façon," Francis smiled at him and Mathew smiled back.

"Merci," Mathew nodded, a small hint of red tinting his cheeks.

"I speak English for you, you should do the same for me," Antonio stated.

"I can have better moments this way," Francis grinned as he turned around towards his best friend.

"It's funny that we are best amigos but we need to use Arthur's language to speak to each other," Antonio laughed.

"And then Gilbert spoke the dead language of German," Francis laughed.

Mathew giggled, that adorable little curl bobbing with the movements. "It's obviously not dead anymore."

"We should continue searching for mon amour," Francis laughed. "Lord knows how much he's suffering by now."

* * *

"Alfred, I am honestly not interested in seeing what you want to show me," Arthur sighed as he was being dragged somewhere deep into the forest. Alfred had Gilbert stay back a while ago so it was just the two of them.

"You will be once you get there," Alfred flashed a smile at him and Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile back.

"It's nearly nightfall, Alfred," Arthur said.

"That's the point," Alfred said happily. "You can only find it when the moon is up and if the forest likes you."

"Then I doubt I'll be able to find it," Arthur stated.

"Well, you haven't been swooped up by evil trees yet," Alfred winked back at him.

Arthur sighed deeply and ran his left hand through his hair. "Fine, then. But would you slow down? You're going to rip my arm off!"

"If you can handle me dangling by your wrist, I think you can handle this," Alfred chuckled.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it still hurts," Arthur stated.

"You know what I've noticed?" Alfred laughed. "You don't act much like a king. You act more like a pretty little princess."

"Don't call me that," Arthur glared at the back of his head.

"Come on, though! It makes sense!" Alfred glanced back at him. "You don't know what to do with yourself, you act like a teenager all the time even though you say you're older. And you're so intent on having me, the hero, do everything for you."

"You are no hero," Arthur scoffed. "And I am nowhere close to a princess."

"Princess Iggy," Alfred laughed proudly. "I like the ring of that!"

"Well, I don't," Arthur snapped.

"Maybe that's why you don't know what's going on in your special little empire," Alfred teased. "Princesses aren't good at that kind of thing."

"Don't call me a princess," Arthur responded.

"You're even picky about your food," Alfred said proudly.

"I am not a princess, Alfred," Arthur groaned.

"You did take up the throne when you were young," Alfred pointed out. "Not much time to learn, I guess."

"I already told you the reason for that," Arthur winced inwardly at the subject.

"Come to think of it, you never told me anymore about that," Alfred said, looking back again.

"I would prefer not to, thank you," Arthur stated solemnly.

"Okay, whatever," Alfred shrugged and stopped in front of a large bush. "This is it."

"A bush?" Arthur looked up at it.

"Is the princess afraid of going inside the bush?" Alfred smirked at him.

"I'm going to kill you," Arthur shook his head.

"That is less and less threatening the more you say it," Alfred laughed.

"Are you saying I should stop?" Arthur asked.

"Nah, I kinda like it," Alfred smiled down at him. Arthur almost smiled back up at him, but then realized what he was doing and quickly looked away. This was getting complicated fast… "Let's go ahead through."

Alfred moved the bush away enough for them to step through and motioned for Arthur to step through first. Arthur stepped through and felt his right arm go back slightly with the distance Alfred had behind him. He just stared at the ground at first when they emerged out of the bush. But when he noticed how oddly lush the grass was compared to the rest of the forest, he looked up.

And couldn't believe his eyes.

Several, amazingly tall and beautiful trees formed a perfect circle around them into the clearing. All over the lush grass, there was flowers from every color of the rainbow and small, little circles of mushrooms with fireflies flying around them. At the far end of the clearing, there was a simple pond. Well, it would have been simple, if the moonlight didn't shine through into the clearing perfectly. The light shimmered off the water, emitting several beams of light around the clearing. Several of the fireflies came up to the two, flying into their faces and sides, tickling them.

And, for what felt like the first time in years, Arthur let out a genuine laugh. He straightened himself out eventually and marveled at the clearing and the beauty of it.

"I-It's beautiful," he muttered as he watched several fireflies fly around him. Then, several red roses formed in a line in front of his feet.

"It liked your compliment," Alfred smiled at him.

"What? You mean it blushed?" Arthur looked up at him. Fireflies were flying around his head, making Arthur smile at what felt like a memory.

Alfred nodded. "This was always my favorite spot to find when I was a kid. You can actually get to it from multiple parts of the forest. Mattie and I tried to find all the entrences."

Arthur stared up at the sky. "I didn't know it was a full moon tonight…"

"They seem to like you," Alfred laughed and Arthur figured he meant the fireflies, considering Arthur could see about ten just around his head.

"Apparently," Arthur chuckled when he felt one rub up against his face. It didn't feel like a firefly should, though…

"So, you wanna move out of the doorway?" Alfred asked.

"Right," Arthur nodded, still amazed at the sight in front of him. He carefully stepped over the line of roses and followed Alfred to the pond. The moon rays were shining everywhere, it made Arthur smile involuntarily.

"Told ya you would like it," Alfred laughed.

"Shut it," Arthur said half-heartedly. He kept on noticing the fireflies nudging him and a lot of them stayed in his line of sight. It was almost like they wanted something from him. They looked so oddly familiar, but Arthur couldn't quite place it. They still filled him with joy, none the less. He could feel one or two settling down on his head.

"You know, most people only see them as fireflies," Alfred said randomly.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"There's very few people who see them as what they really are," Alfred held out a finger and let a firefly perch on it. "I'm not one of them, but I've met one or two before. When we're kids, we can see them, but we forget how after a while. This forest is the only place people can see them, but it's only as fireflies."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked him as the firefly flew off Alfred's finger.

"Fairies," Alfred said simply and Arthur froze. "But, it's not just them. Elves, dragons, anything that was an imaginary friend."

"My mum used to believe in fairies," Arthur muttered.

"She might have been able to see them," Alfred said kindly.

"I did, too," Arthur sighed. "Then I grew up." A few of the fireflies flew away from Arthur when he said that.

"Well, maybe that's what went wrong with you," Alfred nudged him slightly.

"I had to grow up, Alfred," Arthur sighed. "You know that."

"I don't know much," Alfred muttered.

"And it's going to stay that way, Alfred," Arthur stated. He noticed that the fireflies around him were keeping their distance now. But the ones around Alfred were still clinging to him. He felt oddly...disappointed that the fireflies were doing that. But he didn't know what to do. "I…I don't want you to know more about me than everyone else does."

"So, no one knows about it?" Alfred asked and Arthur turned towards him.

"A few people do," Arthur admitted. "Ludwig, servants, but all they know is what happened. They don't know what it did."

"You could tell me if you wanted to," Alfred said kindly. "I won't tell."

"Sorry, but no," Arthur stated. "I won't ask for your life story and you shouldn't ask for mine."

"But I would be willing to give it to you," Alfred tried.

"Alfred…" Arthur sighed, closing his eyes and turning his head towards the ground. He could feel tears pool at the bottom of his eyes from remembering that night. When he opened his eyes, though a firefly was right there and flew into his face, making Arthur laugh slightly. Some of the fireflies came around and started tickling him again, making him laugh harder.

"I think they prefer you happier, too," Alfred laughed as Arthur tried to wave some of the fireflies off.

"Yes, yes," Arthur chuckled. "The fairies want me happy."

"Me too," Alfred laughed. "I mean, it's no fun to have a captive that's pouting all the time."

"Naturally," Arthur rolled his eyes. He held out his hand for a second and about 15 fireflies immediately placed themselves on it. He stared at them for a while. As he moved his fingers around, the fireflies playfully moved around them. A few of them flew up, above the tips of his fingers and Arthur's eyes followed them.

"You can at least tell that they aren't fireflies," Alfred stated. "Right?"

"Well, they don't act like any firefly I've seen," Arthur smiled up at the fireflies flying around above them. "They stay lit, unlike real ones, who switch on and off."

"That's because they like it when they're seen," Alfred smiled, looking up with Arthur. "You don't hate me anymore, do you?"

"Well, I can't say I like you," Arthur laughed as another firefly tickled his side. It slightly hurt him to say that, but he couldn't say it wasn't true. He could tell that what he felt for Alfred was more than just "liking him." But he wouldn't say it out loud.

"But you don't hate me?" Alfred laughed and they both looked back down at the same time, locking eyes. Arthur froze, dropping his hand.

"C-can't say I do," Arthur smiled fondly at him. He noticed Alfred took a step closer to him and Arthur had to look up to be able to continue looking into those sapphire orbs. But he quickly looked down, his cheeks burning. He felt his hair hang in front of his face. He closed his eyes tightly, afraid to look back up.

When he felt Alfred's fingers brush the bangs out of his face, though, Arthur's eyes snapped open. He looked up quickly and shrank away slightly when he found Alfred's face was close to his. Arthur could feel himself trembling.

But he still leaned forward slightly, anyway. Staring into those eyes, Arthur felt himself get lost.

"A…Alfred…" Arthur muttered in a small voice. But he didn't continue what he was about to say. He just leaned in a little bit closer and closed his eyes.

* * *

**And...cliffhanger! Don't you love me now? Haha, sorry, but it had to be done. Anyway... Again, Gilbert's not around and there's a USUK moment. I notice a pattern. I swear, I don't really mean for it to happen. **

**Anyway...tell me what you thought with a nice, little review at the bottom of this page. Makes me very happy!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	10. Nightmare

Gilbert sighed and stretched from his spot in the clearing he had picked out. He was about ready to start a fire, since it was getting cold in the night. But he figured he should find Alfred and Arthur first. Knowing those two, they were either at each other's throats or about ready to kiss by now.

He ran a hand through his hair and stood up, but the sound of people talking caught his attention. It wasn't coming from the direction Alfred and Arthur went, though. Gilbert shifted his hand to his sword and watched the direction the noise was coming from, getting himself ready to attack, if necessary. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"I find it très adorable how the forest can blush," that was Francis' voice. Gilbert let go of his sword and amusedly crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for them to enter the clearing.

"It seems to like you, too," the voice of that kid, who's name Gilbert couldn't remember, giggled.

"I see a clearing up ahead. We should sleep there, si?" Antonio's voice asked. They were getting closer.

"But that would be sleeping on the ground, mon ami," Francis pointed out. "I am a king, I do not sleep on the ground." Gilbert rolled his eyes at that statement. That was the one thing Arthur didn't complain about.

"You want to go back into town today?" Antonio asked.

"Non," the kid piped up quickly.

"Mathieu…" Francis groaned. "I do not want to sleep on the ground…"

"I have no problem with it," Antonio laughed. "I think you just may have to deal with it, si?" And then all three of them finally stepped into the clearing. They all stopped when they saw Gilbert.

"You aren't very quiet, you know that?" Gilbert laughed.

"Ah, Gilbert!" Francis smiled excitedly. "Good to see you, mon ami."

"Ja," Gilbert nodded. Now that he knew those two were kings, he had a difficult time thinking of them as anything else. "What are you two doing in the forest?"

"We could ask the same of you," Antonio pointed out.

"Well, I'm awesome, I can do whatever I want," Gilbert shrugged. "Plus, I'm travelling alone, so sleeping in a forest feels a little more cozy."

"Well, we are trying to make sure our kid doesn't get scarred by the taxes," Antonio laughed

"Remind me your name again, birdie?" Gilbert turned his look towards the kid. He looked so much like Alfred, it was no wonder they were twins.

"M-Mathew," he muttered quietly.

"Ja, that's it," Gilbert nodded, laughing. "So, I can't help but wondering what people like you are doing in Larkin. Not the kind of place you see well-dressed people like you walking around."

"We are here on important business," Francis said simply.

"Oh, what kind?" Gilbert tried to sound interested, like he didn't already know.

"Can you keep a secret?" Francis quirked an eyebrow.

"That all depends on how I'm feeling at the time," Gilbert stretched.

"Francis," Antonio looked over to Francis. "You trust him?"

"Oui," Francis nodded and turned his attention to Gilbert again. "If you want to know, I am looking for mon fiancé."

"He's not your fiancé yet," Antonio pointed out.

"He will be when I find him," Francis glared at him.

"Marryin' a man, eh?" Gilbert laughed.

"Not much of a laughing matter," Francis responded dryly, but he still smiled. "You see, I happen to be a king and I am to wed another king, who has happened to go missing."

"You. A king?" Gilbert laughed harder. It wasn't that hard to act this part out. Francis definitely didn't look like a king.

"Si, me too," Antonio smiled. "It's strange how no one in this territory knows what royalty looks like."

"Forgive me for not being educated," Gilbert shrugged. "And I had no idea a king had gone missing."

"Kidnapped, actually," Francis corrected. Gilbert noticed that Mathew was quiet. Gilbert laughed. He knew something.

"Who would kidnap a king?" Gilbert chimed "Sounds like they would have to be an idiot." That part was actually true.

"Well, if you see a garçon with massive eyebrows, feel free to tell me," Francis smirked.

"Right, then," Gilbert nodded and turned around. "Best be on my way, then."

"You could stay with us if you want," Antonio offered.

"Nein, I prefer to be on my own," Gilbert chuckled and started walking. "I'll tell ya if I see him, though."

"Au revoir," Francis called.

"Adios," Antonio said.

"Goodbye," Mathew whispered. Gilbert gave them a wave as he started off towards the bush he knew Alfred led Arthur to.

At least now he knew where they would be so he could move Arthur and Alfred away without them knowing too much. He could hear the two of them talking as he started walking up to the bush.

"Well, I can't say I like you," Arthur's voice said smugly. Gilbert rolled his eyes and started silently moving the bush out of the way.

"But you don't hate me?" Alfred asked. Gilbert stepped into the clearing just in time to see the two staring dreamily into each other's eyes. Gilbert inwardly groaned.

"C-can't say I do," Arthur shakily smiled. For a second, Arthur looked down and Alfred looked pretty disappointed. But he moved Arthur's hair out of his face anyway. Arthur looked back up at him, but his face turned a beet red . "A…Alfred…"

The two leaned towards each other, both slowly closing their eyes, and Gilbert had to work hard to stop himself from gagging.

He loudly cleared his throat and started walking towards the two. Arthur quickly turned away from Alfred, shaking. He tried to step away, but the shackles prevented that. Alfred looked terribly disappointed, looking like he was about to reach a hand out to touch Arthur, but then gave up.

"Time to go," Gilbert stated. "We got visitors and I'm pretty sure if they saw Arthur, it wouldn't be fun."

"F-Francis and Antonio?" Alfred managed out.

"Ja," Gilbert nodded. "So let's get moving."

"Right," Arthur said quickly, looking down at the ground. But he started moving, making Alfred move with him. Gilbert stayed behind for a fraction of a second before he followed them out.

* * *

"So, how long were we in there?" Alfred asked curiously, trying to make sure his voice didn't break. To be honest, he was kind of hurt Arthur turned away. He didn't know why, though.

"An hour, give or take," Gilbert shrugged.

"Th-that long?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Time moves slower in there," Alfred explained. "It's a part of the magic of the forest."

"Right," Arthur sighed behind Alfred. They had assumed their usual line as Alfred tried to find another clearing for them to sleep in.

"You know, I had a nice conversation with Francis and Antonio before I left," Gilbert informed, but Alfred didn't respond. He continued anyway. "Apparently, Francis seems to think you saving him will make you love him."

Alfred felt his eye twitch.

"Fat chance," Arthur muttered and Alfred relaxed. He didn't know why, but he was almost jealous of Francis. "I am saving myself in this situation."

"Whatever you say, princess," Alfred said half-heartedly.

"Don't call me that," Arthur replied half-heartedly.

"I love your enthusiasm," Gilbert chuckled.

"Stopping here," Alfred said as they entered a clearing.

"Fine," Arthur said and sat down. Alfred followed and Arthur laid down, his back to Alfred. Alfred felt a frown trace his face as he laid down, too, staring at the sky.

"I'll keep watch again," Gilbert muttered and walked off.

"Like you would need to," Alfred muttered. He wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon.

* * *

_Fire._

_Smoke._

_Screams._

_Pain._

_So much pain._

_Arthur felt like screaming, but he couldn't pull it out of his dying throat. All he could see was the smoke around him. All he could hear was the screaming of his family. All he could feel was the shot in his shoulder. He closed his eyes quickly. He felt a rough kick in his stomach from one of the people who walked by._

_"He's dead," he snorted and Arthur felt something hit the back of his head hard. But he couldn't open his eyes. Maybe he was dead, he felt ready to die._

_"Put him with the others," a voice laughed. Arthur felt himself get jerked off the floor, his shoulder screaming in pain. But he still couldn't move or do anything. He should be dead. He could hear his mother screaming._

_He was thrown harshly onto something soft, that moved with him. Arthur was finally able to open his eyes, but he was met with the glassy-eyed stare of his brother. His usually fire-red hair was tattered with dirt and dulled. Arthur could feel himself shaking. He glanced down, below him, and saw the limp body of his other brother. His eyes were left open, too._

_There was a loud gunshot and his mother finally stopped screaming. Soon, Arthur felt something heavy land on top of him and his vision was filled with his mother's, long red hair. He took in a sharp breath and he could smell the ashes and blood on the hair._

_He finally let out a scream, but no one could hear it._

_He screamed until he passed out. Limp amongst his dead family. Surely he was dead. He wouldn't be able to live with this torture his whole life._

* * *

Arthur gasped for breath as his eyes snapped open. Water swam in his vision as he tried to regain his breath. He had forgotten about that nightmare in his time here. That was the reason he was afraid to sleep every night. He must have forgotten it with the dream last night.

Arthur could feel himself shaking horribly. He was surprised he hadn't woken up screaming like every time he had the dream before. He needed something...someone…to hold onto. Without thinking, Arthur quickly turned around and gripped onto Alfred's shirt for dear life, curling himself into him.

He felt better there. Safer. He never wanted to let go.

He could feel himself sobbing against Alfred's chest, but he couldn't stop. He was terrified to fall asleep, yet he found himself drifting into dreams again. Safe in Alfred's arms, though, something in him told him that the nightmare wouldn't come back. As long as he was there. Forever.

What Arthur didn't know, however, was that Alfred was awake. And smiling down at him. He held a protective arm around Arthur's quivering form.

And he whispered, "It's going to be alright," until Arthur fell asleep again.

This time with a smile on his face.

* * *

**So, we didn't get a kiss, but we got more USUK in the middle of the night! Don't kill me, or Gil, for not having that kiss. Too soon, dudes. I know exactly when that kiss is gonna be. And you won't have to wait too terribly long. And we also got a sneak peak at that traumatizing thing that happened to Arthur. But, as long as he's in Alfred's arms, he'll only have good dreams. How adorable.**

**Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed so far! It truely means a lot. So...please leave a review. Because that's the awesome thing to do. The more reviews I get, the faster I write, and the faster I write, the quicker you get that kiss.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	11. Found Out

Arthur woke up to his hands hurting. When his eyes cleared up, he saw that he was still clinging onto Alfred's shirt. He shakily released his hands, but didn't move quite yet. He could feel Alfred's head leaning on his and his arm wrapped around his torso. Arthur smiled fondly. He could hear Alfred's snoring, telling him that Alfred was asleep.

Arthur curled up tighter against Alfred and muttered three words so quietly that he couldn't even hear them. But he had to say them, or he was going to go insane. Saying them like that, though, didn't do anything for him. He would have to say them to Alfred eventually…

Alfred suddenly shifted in his sleep, rolling on top of Arthur. He felt most of Alfred's weight on his head before Alfred backed off. "Huh?" Alfred muttered and Arthur quickly shut his eyes, pretending he was asleep. "Sorry 'bout that," Alfred laughed quietly and Arthur felt a hand mess with his hair.

He felt Alfred poke his forehead, then his cheek.

"So, you're still asleep after that?" Alfred asked him. Arthur have no response, still pretending he was asleep. "Wouldn't want to ruin your good dream. Especially because of the one you had before…I wonder what that was about…"

Arthur noticed that Alfred's hand was petting his head. Alfred just chuckled after that, not saying any more. Arthur still blushed, though. It felt nice, having Alfred running his fingers through his hair.

"Stop petting your boyfriend," Gilbert sighed. "Wake him up for me, we need to keep moving."

"But he looks so peaceful…" Alfred complained. "I don't wanna wake him up…"

"Do you realize how close the kings and your brother are?" Gilbert asked. "We need to move."

"Fine," Alfred sighed. Then, he spoke louder, "Hey, Princess Iggy! Wake up!" Arthur felt a hard poke in the middle of his forehead.

"Don't call me that," Arthur muttered.

"But it sounds so cute," Alfred laughed. "And it's perfect."

"Hardly," Arthur slowly opened his eyes to glare at Alfred. But he noticed that his glare lessened when he met Alfred's eyes.

"Time to get up," Alfred laughed and sat upright. Arthur followed, trying to ignore how close they were to each other.

"Have fun cuddling, you two?" Gilbert smirked as he stood in front of them.

"I was not cuddling with Alfred," Arthur sputtered and scooted away, blushing heavily.

"You were," Alfred laughed. "Did you have a nightmare or something? Because you were shaking and clinging onto me for dear life."

"Just a normal dream," Arthur stated. That was true, though. That was his dream most nights.

"Right," Alfred said awkwardly and stood up, followed by Arthur. "So, where to now?"

"We should stick to the forest," Gilbert stated. "By now, news has travelled that you and I are keeping him. So we shouldn't go into a town."

"I take it Antonio and Francis didn't know about it when you talked with them last night?" Arthur asked.

"They will today, though," Alfred groaned.

"Arthur's not the only one who needs a cloak now," Gilbert muttered.

"Oh, so now you two are wanted, too?" Arthur scoffed. "And not just in Larkin, right?"

"At least I'm not a princess," Alfred stated.

"You're a prince," Arthur grinned at him. "Same thing."

"Right, let's start walking away from the kings before they start waking up," Gilbert said, turning around. He started walking, cuing Alfred and Arthur to walk after him.

"How do you know if they're still asleep?" Alfred asked curiously.

"Where do you think I was before I came around?" Gilbert asked. "I was spying. They're still sound asleep."

"Hey, so that means you know how Mattie's doing," Alfred said.

"He's fine," Gilbert chuckled. "Believe it or not, Francis is taking good care of him."

"I could have told you that," Arthur muttered. "I see the lad all the time."

"So, Francis hasn't done anything to him?" Alfred asked.

"He barely touches him, Alfred," Arthur stated. "You underestimate Francis' capabilities."

"What do you know about his 'capabilities?'" Alfred asked.

"He's 10 years older than me," Arthur said. "When I was 15 and had nothing left, he helped me through it. But he never asked me what happened."

"And you hate him because…?" Alfred asked, moving his hand in a circle.

"Because he acts like a twat," Arthur laughed. "Just like you."

"I don't get royalty," Alfred sighed.

"There's nothing to get," Arthur chuckled. "We are just people, Alfred."

* * *

"Francis, wake up," Francis felt something kicking his arm. That was Antonio's voice.

"Non," Francis groaned. "I need my beauty sleep…"

"Someone was here before," Antonio stated. "Spying."

Francis sat up. "What?"

"Do you know who?" Mathew asked.

"No," Antonio shook his head. "Now that the tax thing is over, we should head into town. It might be safer there."

"You and I both know we can defend ourselves," Francis stated as he stood up, soon followed by Mathew.

"Unguarded, in a forest," Antonio said as he started walking. "We can defend ourselves, but not against more than a few. We are kings ourselves and we could easily get captured, too."

"Fine," Francis yawned and started walking. "But I'm sleeping once we get there."

"Si, whatever you want," Antonio chuckled.

"Mathieu, do you know how close the next town is?" Francis asked.

"Not far," Mathew said. "Just keep going this way and we should find a small town."

"How much of Larkin do you know?" Antonio asked.

"There are some areas I know better than others," Mathew stated, sounding a little distracted. "Al and I explored a lot of the forest, so we know about a lot of it."

"What about your mére and pére?" Francis asked.

"Didn't have any," Mathew muttered quietly. "We kind of raised ourselves..."

"How do you practically raise this kid without knowing that?" Antonio remarked.

"Didn't know much about mon cher, either," Francis stated. "In situations like that, I like to think that they will tell me what they want when they want."

"I heard it was assassins for Arthur," Antonio muttered.

"But that is all anyone knows," Francis stated, a bit disappointed. He'd known Arthur since they were kids. But Arthur still hadn't told him anything about that night. He hadn't told anyone, so he heard.

"They found him in a burned down house, right?" Antonio asked casually.

"Oui," Francis nodded. "Everyone but him was dead. The ones that found him have kept quiet about anything else."

"I heard he had a gun-shot wound in his shoulder," Antonio said.

"That would explain why I couldn't see him for months afterwards," Francis said. He was getting tired of this conversation and didn't want to continue it. Luckily, though, he was saved from it when he saw a town through the bushes. "Look, a town is coming up."

"Time for you to sleep, si?" Antonio laughed.

"Not tired," Francis muttered as they emerged into the town. Immediately, a conversation caught Francis' attention.

"Did you hear? King Arthur really is in Larkin."

"I would love to find him. I could use the money for that reward."

"Did you hear who kidnapped him? He's been shackled to him for days!"

"Really? Who?"

"Prince Alfred."

Francis, Antonio, and Mathew all froze.

"Excusez-moi," Francis recovered quickly and turned to the group of girls gossiping. "Did you just say Prince Alfred?"

"Yeah," one remarked. "He's such a traitor."

"You used to have a crush on him!" another girl cackled.

"You did too!" the first one yelled at her.

"So, Mathew," Antonio said as Francis returned and they continued walking. "Seems like your brother has some explaining to do."

"Yeah…" Mathew spoke in a small voice. Francis glanced at him and noticed that he looked oddly nervous.

"Mathieu," Francis spoke. "What are you hiding?"

* * *

"We should do something," Alfred sighed as he laid down on his back next to Arthur.

"We can't quite go into town with Gilbert having my hood," Arthur remarked.

"That doesn't mean we can't do anything in the forest," Alfred stated. "We could go back to that pond, I think it's close to sundown…"

"It's not that close, Alfred," Arthur sighed. Alfred rolled his eyes. Arthur could be such a downer sometimes. Why did he have to fall in love with him? And how could he get Arthur to fall in love, too, if he won't do anything…?

"Well, there's another place near there that I wanna show you," Alfred tried. He remembered it from a while ago, when he and Mathew were little. He was able to find it once without Mathew around, but he was pretty sure he knew where it was.

"Alfred, I'm not going on another adventure with you," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Princess," Alfred teased. That would be how he could get Arthur to come with him.

"Alfred, I'm not falling for that," Arthur scoffed.

"Princess Iggy is just scared of getting dirty," Alfred laughed. "Or maybe it's just that he gets so tired from walking. Princesses are so used to having people walk for them, right?"

"Shut up, Alfred," Arthur sighed, but Alfred knew he was getting to him.

"The prince can always carry his princess there," Alfred smirked, sitting up. "Wouldn't be that hard, considering you're just a twig. Like most princesses."

"Shut it," Arthur snapped.

"You're probably just scared another tree's gonna attack you," Alfred teased. "But, don't worry! I, the hero, will save you if you get into trouble again. Because you obviously can't take care of yourself."

"That's it!" Arthur stood up and turned towards Alfred, who was still sitting down. "I can take care of myself just fine!"

"Prove it," Alfred stood up, making Arthur look up at him. He always looked so cute when he was trying to look threatening…

"I don't need to prove anything to you," Arthur rolled his eyes and looked away. Why was he always doing that?

"Then let's go," Alfred smiled and started walking.

"Go where?" Arthur whined as he was pulled.

"That place I wanna show you," Alfred smiled happily.

"Alfred, I'm not interested," Arthur sighed.

"That's what you said last time," Alfred laughed.

"It's still not sundown…" Arthur muttered.

"But this place looks prettier as the sun is setting," Alfred pointed out.

"Why should I care if something looks pretty?" Arthur sighed.

"Because you liked the pond when it was pretty," Alfred stated. "That…and you're a princess. Princesses like pretty things."

"Don't call me a princess," Arthur snapped.

"But it fits you so well!" Alfred laughed. "Princess Iggy!"

"Don't call me that," Arthur replied.

"I think it's a good nickname," Alfred shrugged. "Why do you care so much if I call you by your 'proper name?'"

"Because it's what I was born with, Alfred," Arthur sighed. "I call you by what you were named."

"You can call me Al," Alfred offered. He actually wouldn't mind hearing Arthur call him by that nickname.

"I will call you Alfred," Arthur stated.

"You're so stuffy," Alfred muttered and lightly kicked at the grass.

"My apologies for being an adult," Arthur muttered in reply.

"You should stop doing that," Alfred sighed.

"Stop doing what? Being sarcastic?" Arthur asked.

"Being an adult," Alfred stated. Arthur stopped.

"What?" Arthur asked. Alfred rolled his eyes and turned around.

"Stop being an adult," Alfred stated. "The main problem I see with you is that you don't even try to get back what you lost by not being a kid. You're too stuffy and the only time I've seen you smile is when the fairies were tickling you. And that was when you stopped being an adult! Just stop for two seconds and you might actually be bearable to be around!"

There was a long silence for a while and Alfred felt instantly horrible. Arthur just stared at him for a while with an unreadable expression. But Alfred couldn't bring himself to say anymore to Arthur.

Eventually, though, Arthur looked down at the ground and started walking in the direction they were heading.

"I'll try to work on that," Arthur muttered as Alfred started walking after him.

Alfred stayed silent for a while, until Arthur stopped in front of a line of trees.

"You should be leading," Arthur stated. "I have no idea where I'm going."

"Right," Alfred straightened himself out and started walking ahead of Arthur. He knew this place would put Arthur in a better mood. So, he started off with a new determination. He was going to make Arthur laugh again. Laugh that pure and perfect laugh that nearly made Alfred melt the night before.

* * *

**Alright, so I'm gonna put this in really quick before my author's note. The Olympics started! Yay! I'm kinda watching the March of Nations as this is being edited. And I'm finding myself paying more attention to certain countries than others. (hehe, anyone else start laughing at the Germany uniform?)**

**Anyway...More USUK for y'all! Alfred's already admitted he loves Arthur, but he doesn't know Arthur likes him back. Because he's kind of been rejected. A lot. But, hey, Gil's not around! You never know what will happen in the next chapter!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	12. Magic

It was a very long, awkward silence before they made it to the entrance to the place Alfred wanted to show Arthur. Two, out of place willow trees that formed a gateway marked the entrance. In the shade given off by the setting sun, you couldn't see what was on the other side.

"This is it," Alfred said.

"Took us long enough to get here," Arthur muttered. "Don't you think Gilbert will wonder where we are once he comes back?"

"Nah, he'll know you're fine as long as you're with me," Alfred smiled. He was getting excited to enter this place again. It was magical and perfect. He was surprised he could even find it on his own again.

"So, is there a reason it looks so ominous?" Arthur asked.

"It doesn't mean to," Alfred laughed. "That's just how the sun lays its shadow down. How about you go first?"

"Sure," Arthur sighed and stepped in between the willow trees. Alfred slowly stepped behind him, but once Arthur stepped into the meadow that emerged between the trees, he froze. Alfred grinned.

"Something wrong?" Alfred chimed.

"H-H-Holy shit…" Arthur muttered.

Alfred walked up next to Arthur, looking at the meadow. How all of the flowers were laid out perfectly and how every blade of grass seemed to have a fresh drop of dew, despite the fact that it hadn't rained in days. All of the willow trees surrounding the meadow glowed with the light from the falling sun and the moss on the rocks looked like it was painted in a picture. But, the thing that drew the most attention…was the creatures inhabiting it.

Small, inch tall people with wings on their backs. Pure white horses with horns coming out of their heads. Three foot tall people with pointed ears. Mini lizards with wings that breathe fire. And a flying, mint green bunny.

Everything turned their attention to the two entering and Arthur was still frozen in shock. It didn't take long before everything around them ran right for Arthur. The fairies flew up around his head, the unicorns playfully nudged him with their heads, the elves tugged on his pant legs, the dragons flew around his knees, and the bunny flew right into his arms.

And Arthur let out a childish laugh, hugging tightly onto the bunny.

"Flying Mint Bunny…" he smiled hugely and hugged it like a doll. Alfred didn't even care that his arm twisted awkwardly as Arthur hugged it. A smile came on his face to see Arthur like this.

"So, I take it you recognize them?" Alfred asked as a unicorn nudged Arthur's back.

"Yes," Arthur laughed and looked up at all the fairies circling his head. "H-How can I…see them?"

"This is the only place in the world where anybody can see them," Alfred smiled. "The magic of the forest allows them to thrive. That's why most of them stay here. The only reason little kids can see them is because of…I can't believe I'm saying something this cheesy…but it's because there's enough magic in their hearts to feed them. They can't live without magic."

"And that's why they don't stick around the ones that don't believe," Arthur said and finally turned around towards the unicorn, who had been pushing him until they both were in the middle of the meadow. He pet its head and it nudged him roughly, making Arthur laugh even more.

"They seem to know you…" Alfred smiled at how all of them were begging for his attention.

"I could see them for a while…" Arthur admitted. "Until I was 15, they were my only friends."

"I thought that princesses were supposed to be popular," Alfred laughed.

Arthur sighed and dropped his hands down to his sides. The elves jumped up to hold onto them.

"Assassins," he muttered quietly. "That's what happened."

"What?" Alfred asked.

Arthur took in a deep breath. "The night I never told anyone anything about. When my family died. It was assassins."

"Does this mean you're gonna tell me?" Alfred asked cautiously.

"Well, what good does it do bottling it up?" Arthur's voice wavered. A couple fairies came up to his face and wiped away some tears. "It made me lose them," he motioned to the creatures. "I need to tell someone eventually."

"I promise I won't tell," Alfred said quietly and Arthur nodded in response.

"We…we were supposed to be on a kind of vacation," Arthur muttered. Alfred noticed that all of the creatures looked at him like they understood. Like they were there. "It was in a sea-side hut. And it was late at night when I heard something crash downstairs. I…I thought it was my mom being klutzy, but then I smelled the smoke. When I ran downstairs, I saw my father get shot by a rifle."

Arthur stopped for a second to breathe and Alfred stuck his hand in his pocket, feeling the key to the shackles. He already felt horrible for asking for this story.

"They saw me and shot me in the shoulder," Arthur continued and Alfred's attention snapped back to him. "I fell down the stairs and I could see and smell the fire. And all I could hear was screaming. And gun shots. They thought I was dead, so they threw me into the pile with the rest."

The fairies around Arthur were patting his shoulder and the unicorn was cuddling against him. Flying Mint Bunny was clearing away his tears.

"I-I was on top of my brother," Arthur stated. "Face- to-face with my oldest brother. They were both long dead. Once they killed my mom, she was placed on top of me. I-I tried to scream, but no one could hear me. The assassins left the place to burn."

"Arthur…" Alfred muttered, pulling out the key.

"Being put in the pile was what saved my life," Arthur chuckled lightly, but he didn't mean it. It was obvious. "The bodies around me protected me from the flames. When people finally came a day later to check around, they only found me because I was still crying.

"That's why I stopped believing in fairies and unicorns and…and elves. Because I didn't think something that pure could live in this world."

"Arthur, I-" Alfred tried, but Arthur cut him off.

"And I know who sent them," Arthur finally looked up at him. "They were from Griejel."

"You mean King Ivan's empire?" Alfred asked, wide-eyed.

Arthur nodded. "And if Francis and Antonio are out searching for me, he is, too. Probably to finish the job…"

"Don't worry," Alfred smiled softly at him. "As long as you're with me, you'll be safe. I promise."

"I already knew that," Arthur stated simply. Alfred noticed that he was shaking. Before Alfred knew what he was doing, he hugged Arthur tightly with his right arm.

"I won't tell," he muttered. "Your secret is safe with me and the fairies."

Arthur chuckled. "Thank you for listening…"

"Here," Alfred pulled away and grabbed onto Arthur's right wrist. He grabbed onto the shackles and used the key to unlock it. He did the same to his own before pocketing the key and dropping the shackles on the ground.

"What? Why?" Arthur looked up at him.

"You look like you need alone time," Alfred smiled. "Can't do that with me around, right?"

"You trust your captive to go back to you?" Arthur chuckled.

"You don't know your way around the forest," Alfred smiled. "Just go in a straight line from the willow trees and you'll find that clearing we are in."

"You trust me too much," Arthur shook his head.

"A prince should always trust his princess," Alfred smiled and turned away, walking towards the willow trees and out of the meadow.

* * *

Arthur stood frozen for a while after he watched Alfred leave through the willow trees.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" a fairy asked him.

"It's…" Arthur ran his right hand through his hair. It felt so weird not being connected to Alfred. "Complicated."

"You love him, don't you?" Flying Mint Bunny asked.

"I…" Arthur muttered, looking down at his old best friend. "Yes, yes I do."

"That's why you told him, right?" an elf asked.

"You have no idea how much I missed the sounds of your voices," Arthur chuckled, he could feel himself shaking, but he didn't know why.

"We missed you, too," Flying Mint Bunny cuddled up into Arthur's chest and Arthur hugged him back. He felt the unicorn nudging his back again.

"So, did you come here after I stopped believing?" Arthur asked the fairies around his head.

"We stayed for a while," a fairy muttered.

"A year," another one stated.

"And I just ignored you…" Arthur shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Flying Mint Bunny smiled up at him. "Because you can see us now."

Arthur laughed. He couldn't help it. He felt the unicorn poke it's head underneath his arm and Flying Mint Bunny flew away as Arthur went to pet its head.

"How have you been?" a fairy asked.

"Not good," Arthur shook his head, still stroking the unicorn. "Turns out I'm not very good at running things, like my dad was. Alfred helped me realize that." He stopped to laugh. "I guess I am more like a princess, after all."

"You'll make for a good king," Flying Mint Bunny said.

"That's reassuring," Arthur chuckled. "But there are plenty of other people who think I can't."

"Do you think you can?" a fairy asked.

"I don't know," Arthur sighed. "But I can't just give up, because I'm the last one…"

"Alfred has good ideas about fixing that," an elf tugged on Arthur's pant leg.

"Yes, he does," Arthur kneeled down to them. "But I doubt anyone would accept it."

"You do," Flying Mint Bunny said as it hovered over Arthur's head.

"Yes, I do," Arthur smiled up at it. "But that won't mean anything in the real world."

"This is the real world, too," a fairy pointed out.

"And I'm going to make sure I can see you guys for the rest of my life," Arthur smiled. "Because life has been a dreadful bore without you."

"Thank you," Flying Mint Bunny blushed.

"Remind me to thank Alfred for this later," Arthur stood up. "I'm sorry I only saw you as fireflies last night."

"It's okay," a fairy said.

"Because you're here now," an elf smiled up at him.

"And I won't leave," Arthur smiled down at it.

"Are you still going to cut down this forest?" Flying Mint Bunny asked.

"No," Arthur shook his head. "I decided that a while ago… I've actually decided a lot of things. Once I get home, I'll make a few changes."

"Alfred might be worrying about you by now," Flying Mint Bunny said. "Outside the meadow, it's been an hour or two."

"Oh, bloody hell, really?" Arthur rubbed his forehead. "I should head back."

He started walking towards the willow trees and noticed that everyone was following him. Arthur smiled. He really missed that.

* * *

"You're a dummkopf," Gilbert groaned.

"I trust him to come back," Alfred crossed his arms in front of his chest for a second before he started pacing again. "I do. Time just flows differently in there. He's probably just having fun."

"Or he's running away," Gilbert pointed out bluntly.

"He's not running," Alfred snapped. "He can't run. I trust him."

"And I don't," Gilbert stated, sitting against a tree.

"Please just be quiet," Alfred continued his pacing. "If he trusts me enough to tell me, then he will come back. I mean, there's no way he can get out of the forest by himself."

"If he made friends with the fairies, he'll get out," Gilbert snorted.

"I forgot you don't remember how to see them," Alfred scoffed.

"Maybe he just got lost on his way back," Gilbert laughed. "Sounds like something His Highness would do."

"It's a straight line," Alfred sighed. "He can go in a straight line. He's not that stupid."

"I could beg to differ," Gilbert said.

"Please shut up," Alfred groaned. "I'm already stressed out enough as it is. I don't need your doubt."

"Are you two talking about me?" Arthur sighed as he stepped into the clearing.

"Oh, thank God!" Alfred ran up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Did you miss me that much?" Arthur laughed.

"Didja bring those shackles?" Alfred asked as he pulled away.

"Of course not," Arthur stated. "My wrist needs to heal."

"Alright, then, now that His Highness is back, you two should sleep," Gilbert sighed as he stood up. "I'll keep watch again."

"Yes, because that is what you're doing in that tree," Arthur laughed.

"Good to see you in a good mood," Gilbert laughed as he stepped out of the clearing.

"So, are you staying here out of your own free will?" Alfred asked.

"I don't know my way around the forest," Arthur smiled. "So I'll be sticking with you until I know where I am."

"Sweet," Alfred smiled. Then he motioned to the ground in the middle of the clearing. "Shall we sleep, my princess?"

"I'm not a princess," Arthur chuckled.

"Then stop acting like one," Alfred winked as he and Arthur sat down at the same time.

"Alfred, thank you," Arthur said.

"For what?" Alfred asked as he lied down on his back.

"For showing them to me," Arthur smiled at him. "I really needed it."

"And you said you weren't interested," Alfred smirked.

"I'm going to kill you," Arthur laughed as he lied down, too.

"Now you definitely don't mean it," Alfred laughed.

* * *

**I had problems with this chapter... Mostly because of Arthur's story. I mean, I've always gotten mad at other fics for doing things like that just randomly when it doesn't make sense, and so now I'm hoping I'm not one of those... I tried to make it flow right... If it didn't, please don't kill me... Grah...**

**Reviews are nice! So leave one and be nice! If I get enough, I might tell you which chapter their kiss is.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	13. Voodoo

"Wake up, sleepy-heads," Gilbert's voice rang through Arthur's dreams and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Gil…" Alfred groaned and Arthur noticed that his voice was oddly close to his head. "We were sleeping…"

"Obviously," Gilbert chuckled. Arthur finally managed to open his eyes all the way and found that he was curled up close to Alfred.

Smiling, Arthur sat upright and stretched, liking the feeling of having his wrist free. He looked up at the sky and saw a few fairies fly around his head. Today was perfect.

"Those clouds don't look good," Alfred muttered randomly. Arthur looked over to him, noticing that he was looking at a portion of the sky that looked like it was turning black.

"It'll probably rain soon," Gilbert muttered. "We should try and get past Wefil and back into the forest by the time it rains."

"Wefil?" Arthur asked as he and Alfred stood up. It sounded familiar.

"Capital of Larkin," Alfred stretched.

"Right," Arthur laughed as he felt the unicorn rub up against his back.

"It's amazing, he's still in a good mood," Gilbert laughed.

"Well, I'm not always irritated," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Seemed like it," Alfred muttered and Arthur lightly shoved his arm.

"Let's move," Arthur sighed. "I don't want to get caught in the rain in Wefil."

"Gil, you got us all hoods, right?" Alfred asked. "We can't quite go through the capital with everyone knowing about us."

"Yes, I did," Gilbert tossed two black cloaks at Arthur and Alfred.

"Maybe you should get something to hide your eyes," Arthur muttered as he caught his cloak and started to put it on.

"Very funny," Gilbert rolled his eyes as he put his cloak on too.

"I thought it was," Alfred laughed and flipped his hood up. Arthur noticed that there were a couple elves and fairies and even a dragon all around him. Flying Mint Bunny was just flying by Arthur's head.

"Shall we go towards Wefil?" Arthur asked. "I would rather like to get this over with quickly so I can get back home."

"You could always try running now," Alfred offered as he started walking.

"You know I have people run for me," Arthur laughed.

"I don't know what you did to him yesterday," Gilbert chuckled. "But I think you finally did something right, Al."

"Thank you," Alfred said proudly. "It's my job to make sure everyone in Larkin is happy."

"So kidnapping me made me happy, eh?" Arthur laughed.

"Well, it's made you happy now," Alfred playfully elbowed Arthur in the side.

"Kidnapping had nothing to do with making me happy," Arthur stated.

"Sure it didn't ," Alfred rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Now, Mathieu, please tell us," Francis tried to speak calmly. But Mathew just shook his head.

The trio had found another house to stay in with a spare room, but it only had one bed in it, so Mathew had to sleep between Francis and Antonio. While they questioned him about what he knew. Mathew still hadn't told them anything. He had promised Alfred.

"Just tell me if you knew about it the whole time," Antonio tried.

"Not the whole time," Mathew muttered.

"Do you know why?" Francis asked.

"No," Mathew shook his head.

"Did you know Gilbert was with them?" Antonio asked.

"No," Mathew shook his head.

Francis sighed deeply. "Why won't you tell us anything?"

"Because he's my brother…" Mathew murmured. "We protect each other."

"Valiant effort," Francis sighed. "But now we must find them. And Alfred will not be getting off easy."

"Oui, I know," Mathew nodded. "So does he."

"And I doubt the kid even cares," Antonio sighed. "I've met him once, he's arrogant."

"So is mon cher…" Francis ran a hand through his hair. "They're handcuffed together…"

"You're just jealous because he's probably gotten farther with him than you did," Antonio laughed.

"I didn't get anywhere with him…" Francis muttered. "He never even told me about the assassins…"

"Don't beat yourself up," Antonio patted his back.

"Now you're helpful," Francis chuckled. "What town are we in again?"

"Wefil," Mathew informed.

"Isn't this where we're supposed to meet Ivan?" Antonio asked.

"Oui," Francis nodded. "We will just have to wait until we see him."

"We could always ask more questions," Antonio offered and Mathew shrank in his spot on the bed.

* * *

"This is Wefil?" Arthur asked as they entered the capital. Alfred just laughed. It really wasn't much. It looked like every other town, beside the fact that it was at least two times larger than most towns. And it was close to Klinster, like all of the capitals to all of the territories.

"Ain't it purty?" Alfred laughed.

"No," Arthur laughed. "It's not."

"How about we try finding some fruit or something?" Alfred offered and Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"You won't force me to eat a squirrel?" Arthur asked.

"Considering your reaction from the last one," Alfred laughed, "I don't want to risk doing that again."

"Thank you," Arthur grinned.

"Aren't you two adorable?" Gilbert teased.

"No one asked you," Alfred said pointedly.

"Just figured you would love my awesome input," Gilbert winked.

"If you don't mind," Arthur said, sounding a bit distracted, "I want to check something out over there. Be right back."

"Um, sure," Alfred said cautiously. When he thought about it, Arthur really wouldn't be stupid enough to try and get away here, would he?

"You're really letting him go again?" Gilbert asked.

"He's not gonna run away," Alfred sighed. "And as long as his hood stays down, we'll be fine."

"As long as you're sure," Gilbert shook his head.

"Trust me, he'll be fine," Alfred glared back at him. Just as lightning cracked above them, Alfred felt someone ram into his arm. He saw a lot of people running away from the spot Arthur disappeared to.

"You sure?" Gilbert asked.

"Alfred!" Arthur's voice screamed.

Alfred completely ignored Gilbert's warning and started running as fast as he could.

"Arthur!" Alfred called out. "Arthur, where are you?" Alfred felt rain hit his head as he ran. Apparently his hood had already fallen off, but he didn't care. No one was even around in the first place. "Arthur!"

Alfred rounded a corner and, before he knew it, he slammed against the side of a house, falling onto the ground.

"Alfred…" he heard Arthur mutter and stood up quickly.

"So the rumors are true, da?" an unfamiliar voice asked as Alfred's vision finally came into focus. He could see Arthur, standing perfectly still, and then he saw someone else he had never seen before. He had white hair and violet eyes, he was wearing a beige scarf and a long, brown coat. It seemed like he would be oddly hot, considering it was summer, but he seemed perfectly fine. He looked like he was holding a doll in his hand. "Prince Alfred has kidnapped you."

"Ivan, just let him go," Arthur said, but Alfred found it very weird that he wasn't moving.

"What's going on here?" Alfred asked cautiously.

"Finishing what I started," Ivan smiled and lightly tossed the doll, catching it calmly. The more Alfred looked at the doll, the more he realized that it looked just like Arthur.

"What is that?" Alfred asked.

"A voodoo doll," Ivan responded happily.

"Voodoo magic is a dark art," Arthur muttered. "You don't need anything special to do it, like real magic. All you need is a black heart."

"But I have no heart," Ivan smiled and dug into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a blank doll.

"Ivan, leave him alone," Arthur said evenly.

"What is voodoo?" Alfred asked as Ivan started walking towards him.

"Ivan, he's not important," Arthur pressed, but he still didn't move.

"Voodoo is simple, da?" Ivan smiled as he came up to Alfred. Before Alfred knew what he was doing, Ivan gripped onto a chunk of his hair and ripped it out.

"Ow!" Alfred yelped, holding onto his head.

"I just need a part of you," Ivan hummed as he walked back to Arthur. Alfred couldn't see what he was doing, but he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "And I can do whatever I want to you."

"Don't," Arthur warned him.

"And what will you do?" Ivan chuckled and Alfred could see him kneading the head of the Arthur doll with his thumb and forefinger. Arthur winced.

"Step away from Arthur," Alfred warned and stormed towards Ivan.

"Stop," Ivan said simply and Alfred froze. He tried to move, but he couldn't even move his arms. "Since I didn't work on this one, it's not very powerful," Ivan sighed and tossed the blank one up in the air and let it drop to the ground. Alfred noticed the hair he ripped out was attached to it now. "So, I will have to do this to make sure you don't get in the way."

Ivan placed his foot on top of the doll and Alfred immediately fell onto the ground. He felt like he was being crushed and he could barely breathe. It felt like there was a massive block on top of him, but there was nothing but air.

"Ivan, just let him go," Arthur pressed.

"But then there would be no one to witness this," Ivan smiled and pulled out a needle and thread.

"What are you…" Alfred wheezed, but that was all he could manage out. He felt like he was about to pass out.

"Once you are out of the way," Ivan hummed happily and poked the needle in the right hand of the doll. Immediately, Arthur screamed in pain and Alfred saw blood pour out of Arthur's palm.

"Arthur!" Alfred yelled and desperately tried to get out from under the invisible block.

"Klinster will fall," Ivan continued happily and poked through higher up on the arm of the doll and Arthur's wrist spurted with blood, too. Arthur was still screaming, but he couldn't move, so he was just standing there as the blood fell to the ground.

"Arthur!" Alfred struggled.

"Without the largest empire in the world," Ivan poked through higher up and it was the middle of Arthur's fore-arm that started bleeding, "it will go into chaos."

"Stop!" Alfred screamed. "A-Arthur!"

"And how I love chaos," Ivan smiled and the inside elbow of Arthur's arm was bleeding. Arthur was still screaming.

"Arthur!" Alfred screamed in vain, still trying to get out.

"It's such a shame you won't see it," Ivan sighed and aimed the needle at the doll's chest.

"No!" Alfred increased his struggling. "No, Arthur!"

"Stop," Gilbert's voice said calmly and Alfred could see him standing behind Ivan with a sword at his throat. With an amused look on his face, Ivan stopped, with the needle barely a centimeter away from the Arthur doll. "Now, drop the doll," Gilbert ordered and Ivan obeyed. Arthur crumpled down, onto the ground and Alfred saw that the thread attached to the needle was sewn through the doll's arm. "Now, step back," Gilbert ordered and they both took a step back, letting Alfred breathe since Ivan's foot was no longer on the doll.

Immediately, Alfred got up and ran over to Arthur, who was now curled up, protectively holding his arm.

"Arthur, it's going to be okay," Alfred said quickly, but it didn't even look like Arthur heard him. Alfred turned his attention to Gilbert and Ivan for a fraction of a second to see Gilbert hit Ivan on the top of his head with the hilt of his sword.

"Alfred, we have to go," Gilbert said as Ivan fell on the ground. "Now. Pick him up."

Alfred turned his attention back to Arthur and finally remembered that it was raining. He couldn't tell if the water on Arthur's face was rain or tears…

Alfred quickly picked him up and followed Gilbert.

* * *

**And Ivan's here! Not for long, but he's here! I don't really know what to say here... Other than don't kill me for hurting Arthur like that! Trust me, it's necissary!**

**Please be awesome and leave a review!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	14. Stitches

The second Arthur felt that piercing pain in his hand, the world went black. He knew he was screaming and he could feel the rain pouring on his head, and he could hear Alfred screaming. And then there was another jab, this time at his wrist, and he just wanted to curl up and die. But he couldn't move.

Another jab and he could have sworn he felt a giant thread going through his wounds. Alfred was still screaming and Ivan was saying something, but Arthur couldn't make anything out. Another stab. He couldn't stop screaming, even though all of the sound was slowly leaving his ears. Even the sound of Alfred screaming for him was slowly dying out.

And then Arthur felt himself land on the ground. Immediately, he held onto his injured arm and curled into it, as if that would protect it. He could faintly hear the sound of Alfred's voice over the beating of his own heart. He could definitely feel thread going through his wounds.

Soon, he was lifted off the ground. But Arthur couldn't get himself to open his eyes, he just had to hope it was Alfred carrying him.

"Arthur…" Flying Mint Bunny's voice said and Arthur could feel himself shaking. Partly because he was cold. But the pain just wouldn't go away! It hurt…

"Alfred's got you," a fairy said sadly.

"You're going to be okay," an elf said.

But Arthur couldn't understand what they were saying, the pain gathered all of his attention. He couldn't feel anything put his arm and the holes and the thread.

"A-Alfred…" Arthur muttered.

* * *

"What's going on?" Antonio asked as he saw several people running.

"Something doesn't feel right," Francis muttered.

"It's raining…" Mathew felt himself shaking.

"Does rain mean something else when you're surrounded by the forest?" Antonio asked and Mathew nodded.

"What does it mean, Mathieu?" Francis asked.

"Not good things," Mathew shook his head and started running, nearly slipping on the mud. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a scream shatter the air.

"Arthur…" Francis and Antonio muttered at the same time.

Mathew started running again, faster. The screaming didn't stop, but it mixed with the sound of someone else's voice. Alfred's.

Once Mathew got close to where he heard the screams, they started to die down. He rounded a corner and saw Gilbert and Alfred running away, with Arthur in Alfred's arms. King Ivan was laying on the ground, unconscious.

"Merde…" Francis muttered and ran over to Ivan, with Antonio close behind. Mathew just stood there. What was his brother doing?

"Ivan?" Antonio helped Francis lean Ivan against the side of a house.

"Al…" Mathew muttered.

"Que, Mathew?" Antonio asked.

"Nothing," Mathew shook his head. Francis looked at him for a moment in disbelief, until Ivan started waking up.

"Ivan," Francis spoke as Ivan blinked several times, trying to get vision back. "What happened? I heard Arthur scream."

Ivan took a few moments to register what was going on and Mathew's eyes wandered onto the ground, where he saw large puddles of blood.

"I saw Arthur with that prince," Ivan said slowly. "I saw the prince…attack Arthur. I tried to protect him, but that albino with them knocked me out." Mathew glanced back at Ivan, he was lying. There was something in his eyes and his voice wavered, like he wasn't sure what he was about to say.

"Where did they take him?" Francis asked, totally believing the lie.

"They must have gone into the forest," Ivan stated.

"Liar…" Mathew muttered, going to look at the blood.

"Mathew?" Antonio asked him.

"He's lying," Mathew spoke louder. "Al wouldn't hurt Arthur."

"That is just your assumption, da?" Ivan glared at him.

"I know my brother," Mathew pressed and pointed at the blood. "He wouldn't be able to do anything to anyone that would cause that much damage!"

"Mon dieu," Francis muttered as he caught sight of the blood.

"He's lying," Mathew said again.

"Who else would have done that?" Antonio asked.

"There's no telling whose blood it is…" Francis murmered.

"There's a trail," Ivan offered. "We can find them, da?"

Francis looked at him warily. "Maybe you should stay here, mon ami. Recover, oui?"

Ivan glared at them for a while before sighing, "Fine."

"Antoine," Francis spoke as he stood upright, "get him to the house we were staying at. He should probably sleep."

"Si," Antonio nodded as he and Ivan stood up. Antonio started leading him towards the house.

"Merci…" Mathew muttered. He knew Francis had Antonio lead him away for him.

"You're welcome," Francis smiled at him and messed up some of his hair. "We should follow that trail of blood non?"

Mathew looked down at the puddles and noticed that there were some drops leading into the forest.

"Whose do you think it is?" Mathew asked.

"Only one way to find out…" Francis muttered and started walking. Mathew followed him closely behind.

"Why do you think King Arthur screamed?" Mathew asked.

"You just better hope it's not your frère," Francis said and Mathew wondered at how…actually dangerous he sounded.

* * *

Alfred looked down at Arthur, who was still awake, but cringing in pain. His eyes were closed and he was holding tightly onto his right arm.

"This should be far enough…" Gilbert muttered and stopped.

"What? We can't just treat him here!" Alfred held onto Arthur protectively.

"Walk over there a few steps, quickly," Gilbert ordered, pointing towards some bushes.

"Um, okay…" Alfred walked over there and then Gilbert ripped off his own cloak and grabbed onto Arthur's arm. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Making sure no one finds us if they come looking," Gilbert muttered as he tightly wrapped the cloak around Arthur's arm. "If you look at the ground, we're leaving a trail of blood. Now, follow me." Gilbert finished and started walking, exactly where they came from.

"Where are you-" Alfred started, but Gilbert cut him off.

"Walk lively if you want to get him to help sooner," Gilbert muttered and Alfred picked up his pace. Gilbert suddenly took a sharp turn, away from their trail. "Make sure he's not dropping blood."

Alfred nodded and looked back down at Arthur. He didn't seem to have noticed the cloak around his arm, but he suddenly muttered Alfred's name, nearly making Alfred stop. But he knew he had to follow Gilbert, so he kept walking.

"It'll be okay, Arthur," Alfred reassured Arthur, but that was mostly for his own sake. "You'll be okay."

"Here's fine," Gilbert muttered and Alfred stepped into a clearing. "Set him down," Gilbert ordered and Alfred obeyed, a little hesitant to let go. "Now, take this," Gilbert handed him a bucket he hadn't seen him take. "I got it while we were running out of town. Now fill it up with water. And be quick about it."

"Right," Alfred nodded and started running. This was the forest around the capital, so he knew his way around. It didn't take long for him to find a little pond and scoop up the water into the bucket. He had managed to make it back to where they were without spilling too much water. When he made it back, he saw Gilbert had Arthur laying on his own cloak and he was holding the Arthur doll.

"Hand me the water," Gilbert held his hand out for the bucket and Alfred handed it to him. Alfred also saw that there was another bucket on Gilbert's other side and Arthur had a cloak wrapped around his upper arm, like a tourniquet. "Now, give me your knife sheath."

"What? Why?" Alfred asked nervously.

"It's made out of leather, right?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah…" Alfred said as he pulled out the knife.

"Give it," Gilbert held his hand out. "We don't want him to scream, so he'll need something to bite on."

"W-What are you gonna do?" Alfred asked, but handed the leather sheath over, anyway.

"The needle that went through the arm of the doll had a thread on it," Gilbert stated. "Probably meant to cause more pain. But I have to get it out. After that, there's probably enough thread to stitch him up. If we're lucky and I use it well."

"You have to stitch him up?" Alfred winced as Gilbert handed Arthur the sheath and ordered him to bite, which he did so.

"It made a hole through his entire arm," Gilbert took a deep breath and started pulling the needle and thread out from the doll. Arthur immediately contorted in pain and cried out silently, biting down hard onto the leather. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to work fast… Alfred, hold his left hand."

"Why?" Alfred asked.

"Just do it," Gilbert sighed. "I know what I'm doing." The needle and thread finally made it out of the doll and Arthur was panting.

"It'll be okay, Arthur," Alfred said kindly as he kneeled down next to Arthur. He moved his hand towards Arthur's, but before he got very far, Arthur's hand gripped tightly onto Alfred's. "Geez…" Alfred muttered as he nearly fell over with the force of Arthur pulling his hand close to him. He didn't even try to fight the bone-crushing grip and patted Arthur's back with his free hand.

"Starting with the palm…" Gilbert muttered, probably to himself.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Alfred asked.

"I have a good guess," Gilbert muttered. "But we don't have the time or the luck to find someone better. Now…just hold on tight because this is probably gonna hurt."

Alfred turned his attention back to Arthur, who was panting and wincing in pain.

"You'll be okay, Arthur, I promise," Alfred muttered as Gilbert started setting to work on the palm. The grip on Alfred's hand immediately tightened and Arthur bit furiously onto the leather, still letting out a groan in pain.

Alfred just watched helplessly as Arthur was nearly screaming in pain and Gilbert was trying to sew his wounds shut. With the amount of thread they had, the stitches were very crudely done, but it was the best they could do… While Gilbert was stitching, Alfred looked into one of the holes in Arthur's arm and noticed that he could look straight through it.

"Did…did Ivan sew through the bone?" Alfred asked shakily.

"Ja," Gilbert said somberly. "He sewed through everything, but all I can do is help the skin."

"We are going to get him real help soon, right?" Alfred asked.

"If we're lucky," Gilbert muttered. There was a long stretch of silence, except for Arthur's groans in pain, for a while after that. Eventually, Gilbert finished off the stitches as best as he could and started wrapping the last cloak around it tightly like a bandage. "Go get some more water in the other bucket," Gilbert ordered and Alfred noticed that the other bucket was barely even used.

Alfred eventually pried himself out of Arthur's grip and grabbed the bucket, going to the pond he went to before, but slower this time. Alfred couldn't help but feel guilty. If he had gotten there sooner, or didn't act like an idiot and just stood there for half of that, Arthur might have been safer. He quickly brushed away his tears as he got the water and walked a little quicker back to Gilbert and Arthur.

Arthur was lying on his back and would have looked dead, if his breathing wasn't so labored. Alfred felt his heart break at the sight of it.

"He's just asleep," Gilbert reassured him and grabbed the bucket from Alfred. He set it on the ground and stuck his hands in it, cleaning off blood. "The other bucket is for him to drink out of," he said distractedly as he took his hands out of the bucket and shook the water off them. "I'm going into town to get him fruit for when he wakes up. But, know this. The second he wakes up, we're moving. I don't care if you have to carry him. For now, he'll just rest as much as he can. Stay with him while I'm gone."

"You didn't even have to tell me," Alfred muttered.

"Before I leave, though," Gilbert muttered and pulled out the blank doll with Alfred's hair sewed to it. "This is gonna hurt, but it'll get you freed from the doll."

"What?" Alfred asked and Gilbert ripped the hair off making a searing pain go through Alfred's head. "Dammit!" he clasped his hands on his head. "What was that?"

"Now we can dispose of this doll," Gilbert tossed it onto the ground. "Arthur's won't be so easy."

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked, still wincing at his head.

Gilbert pulled out the doll and Alfred finally got a good look at it. It looked so much like Arthur, it was insane. "The detail put in this and all of the elements put into it…I don't think it would be safe to destroy it. So, I think Arthur's just going to have to keep it safe for the rest of his life." He pocketed it again and started leaving the clearing. "Make sure he doesn't have that nightmare he had last night again. That wouldn't be pretty."

"How am I supposed to prevent a nightmare?" Alfred asked as Gilbert left.

"Do what you did last night," Gilbert called back to him.

Alfred looked back at Arthur, who didn't seem to be sleeping very soundly.

"I'm sorry, Arthur…" Alfred said quietly as he kneeled down next to Arthur, on his left side. He wanted to be as far away from the injured arm as possible. He started stroking Arthur's hair and he seemed to relax a little. "I-If I had been faster… God, I'm sorry," Alfred felt himself crying again. "So help me, if I see his damn face ever again, he's dead. I promise you that… I'm sorry… I didn't want anything bad to happen to you and…and I finally got you t-to smile all the time…"

Alfred moved Arthur's bangs out of his forehead and noticed that his face looked far more peaceful. Before he could catch himself, Alfred kissed Arthur's forehead.

"I love you. Please…just be okay…So that I can tell you…And then we can live…"

Alfred watched several of his tears fall onto Arthur's face.

"Happily ever after…"

* * *

**Alright, so here's this... I am no doctor, and neither is Gil, so I don't know much about that aspect. But, hey, it's in the 1700s and they're in a forest, not much medical stuff to know!**

**Anyway, I won't be able to update for a while because I'm camping again. Sorry, but it'll be around Sunday when I can update again... Really sorry...**

**Review please! It really helps!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	15. Spells

At first, when Arthur woke up, he felt groggy. But that illusions was soon shattered when he felt searing pain force its way through his right arm and hand. He winced and grit his teeth. He tried to bring his arm close to him, but he couldn't. He tried again to move it, but it wouldn't. He turned his head to look at his hand, which was apparently wrapped in black cloth, and tried to move his fingers. It didn't work.

Before Arthur could do anything, he felt himself get picked up by the crook of his knees and his back. Arthur's right arm just hung below him and he had to use his left to bring it close to him so that it laid on his stomach.

"Arthur…" a fairy murmured as Arthur saw several fairies come into his line of vision.

"Are you okay?" an elf asked from below him.

"Of course he's okay!" Flying Mint Bunny said, sounding nervous.

"Yeah, Alfred's got him, he'll be fine," a fairy reassured them.

Arthur looked up at the person carrying him as they started walking and he saw Alfred. But he looked terribly tired, with dark bags under his eyes. How long had Arthur been asleep for?

"A-Alfred," Arthur could feel himself shaking. His arm was still in searing pain, but he was ignoring that for now. Alfred looked down to him, his face full of worry. "I…I can't move my arm."

"Arthur!" a fairy gasped.

"I'm sorry…" Alfred said somberly.

"Can you still feel it?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah," Arthur winced.

"Are you sure you can't move it?" a fairy asked and Arthur nodded. He couldn't even make his finger twitch.

"Why do we have to keep moving?" Alfred asked, his voice was wavering, like he was scared.

"Because they might be searching for him and we need to get him real help," Gilbert stated.

"They might be able to give real help," Alfred muttered.

"Right after we get arrested," Gilbert snapped.

"If it'll get him help, I don't really care!" Alfred yelled at him and Arthur found a small smile trace across his face.

"He tried everything he could to save you," a fairy said helpfully.

"He's even keeping your voodoo doll safe for you," an elf spoke.

Arthur would have laughed, if it weren't for the pain in his arm. No one had ever cared this much for him before. Except for maybe his mother.

"I'll be fine," Arthur stated. "I'll just have to learn how be left handed is all."

"Arthur…" Alfred stopped and Arthur heard Gilbert give out an exasperated sigh.

"Alfred, I'm fine," Arthur stared into his eyes, trying his hardest not to wince. "Really." His arm was actually starting to dull just into a throbbing pain now that he wasn't thinking about how bad it was.

"If he says he's fine, he is," Gilbert said impatiently. "Now, we need to keep moving."

"But…it could get worse…" Alfred said, his voice full of guilt for some reason Arthur didn't know as he started walking.

"I can handle it," Arthur insisted.

"What if you lose your arm?" a fairy asked unhelpfully, and Arthur swatted her away with his left hand.

"You sure you're okay?" Alfred asked, looking back down at him.

"Yes," Arthur nodded.

"You'll tell me if you change your mind, right?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Arthur nodded again.

"Stay here," Gilbert ordered randomly and Alfred stopped. "I'm going to go check something out."

"Can I ask what?" Alfred asked.

"No," Gilbert said. "Now stay here and don't move like I know you're going to."

"Sure thing," Alfred stated and Arthur watched as Gilbert retreated through the trees. They hadn't even stopped in a clearing, they were just surrounded by trees. He noticed that Gilbert set down two buckets and a bag down on the ground.

"You know, I can stand," Arthur said after a while of standing. He could feel Alfred's arms shaking underneath him. "My arm was injured, not my legs."

"But you're still injured," Alfred looked down at him. "I can carry you, it's fine."

"You're not inhuman," Arthur stated. "Even you can't carry a full-grown man for too long."

"I'll be fine," Alfred grunted and Arthur felt him shaking more.

"Put me down," Arthur demanded. "I don't want you hurting your arms, too."

"Fine," Alfred admitted grudgingly and carefully set Arthur down. Arthur had to maneuver himself carefully so he didn't step on an elf.

"See?" Arthur asked, he wobbled slightly, though. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Alfred asked. He was still looking over Arthur cautiously and holding his hands out, like Arthur was about to fall any second.

"Yes, Alfred," Arthur sighed, swatting his hands away.

"Kiss him," a fairy whispered in Arthur's ear.

"I-I'm sorry…" Alfred rubbed the back of his head.

"For what?" Arthur asked, trying to ignore the other fairies that were agreeing with the first one.

"I promised you that I would protect you, but I didn't…" Alfred pouted. "I mean…I could have tried to stop him faster or tried harder to get out or just-"

"Alfred," Arthur cut him off. "Thank you."

"For what?" Alfred asked. "I failed to protect you after I promised I would and I basically just sat there as he sewed through your arm and-"

"For trying," Arthur cut him off again. "Most of the people I know would have only cared about themselves. But you did everything in your power to try and save me. No one has done that for me before. So, thank you."

They stayed staring at each other for a while. It was almost like Alfred didn't know what to say, which would have made Arthur laugh, if the creatures weren't bugging him.

"You know you want to kiss him," an elf assured him and a swarm of them made Arthur take a step forward.

"You liked him from the moment you met him," Flying Mint Bunny tried pushing his head.

"You wanna do it," a fairy tried pulling him towards Alfred. Thanks to all their efforts, though, they were rather close to each other.

All they were saying was true, though. Despite what Arthur had said, he did like the kid when they first met. He liked how he wasn't afraid to go up to someone like him and demand for something. And he had the guts to even kidnap a king to get what he wanted. And Arthur did want to kiss him. Terribly badly. He didn't know why he was so terrified to admit it.

Because of that, all it took was a shove in the back from the unicorn, and their lips connected. Arthur felt Alfred's hands on the back of his head as his eyes fluttered closed. Arthur used his left hand to cup Alfred's face, his right hand hanging uselessly at his side. They could have stayed like that forever, for all he cared. They did separate after a while, and when they did, Arthur just stared into the massive expanse of Alfred's eyes.

"I…I love you," Alfred admitted. "And I promise nothing bad will ever happen to you again…"

"I love you, too," Arthur smiled, but winced slightly at his arm.

"I'm sorry," Alfred muttered.

"You don't need to be," Arthur assured him.

"You know, I thought I would be the one to kiss you," Alfred chuckled lightly. "Not the other way around."

"Not my idea," Arthur shook his head. "The unicorn was the one that pushed me."

"So, you can see them now?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, thanks to you," Arthur smiled.

"The magic of the forest, right?" Alfred laughed.

"Magic…" Arthur muttered. That made him remember… "Alfred! You're a genius!"

"What?" Alfred blinked as Arthur started dragging him into the forest.

"That gave me an idea," Arthur said excitedly and looked at the trees, trying to find the right one.

"We shouldn't have left where Gilbert left us," Alfred muttered.

"Yes, well he can stuff it for now," Arthur muttered and stopped in front of a tree. Those were the right leaves. "I need you to get me," he stopped for a moment, mentally counting his wounds, "eight of those leaves."

"Why?" Alfred asked.

"Just trust me," Arthur glared at him and Alfred grabbed the leaves. While he was doing that, Arthur unwrapped the cloth from around his arm.

"Y-You shouldn't do that," Alfred muttered and Arthur closed his eyes for a while in disgust at the wounds.

"I know what I'm doing," Arthur said as he sat down. "Now, hand me those leaves."

"Sure," Alfred handed them to him and sat down in front of him.

"Scoot back a little bit," Arthur stated as he carefully placed a leaf on each side of all the wounds. It stung every time, but it would be worth it.

"What are you doing?" Alfred asked as he did as he was told.

"Magic," Arthur smiled. "I just realized that the last time I used magic was before I couldn't see them. And I couldn't use magic after I forgot about them. Now that I can see them again, I'm pretty sure I can use magic."

"What are you planning to do with your magic?" Alfred asked warily.

"I know a healing spell," Arthur muttered as he tried to see if he could remember the spell and the right runes to write out. "Could you hand me a stick?"

"Are you sure it will work?" Alfred asked.

"I'm positive," Arthur said as Alfred handed him a stick. "I just need you to make sure that I stay still and safe."

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"Considering the strength of this spell," Arthur said, "it will take almost all of my energy. Meaning I'll probably pass out. I need you to make sure I stay still while my arm heals or else it won't be done right."

"You can count of me," Alfred nodded.

"Alright," Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He started writing out the runes with the stick with his left hand and mouthing the words to the spell he was surprised he remembered. Every time he came to a part he couldn't remember, though, the fairies whispered the next word and helped him along.

It didn't take Arthur long to feel that familiar feeling of power at the pit of his stomach. By the time he had written the last rune and said the last word, he felt the power in his whole body. The pain in his arm was completely forgotten. He took one last breath to finish the spell.

He felt a flash of pain in his right arm and then the world went black.

* * *

A familiar scream of pain rang through the forest as Francis, Antonio and Mathew walked through it.

"Arthur…" Francis muttered.

"That trail of blood ended a while ago," Antonio mumbled. "That scream sounded like it was coming from over there, though…" He pointed to the left.

"Mathieu," Francis glanced at the boy for help.

"Don't look at me," Mathew squeaked. "All I knew was that he had Arthur. I don't know any more."

"I don't even know if we should go in the direction of the scream," Francis groaned, running his hand through his hair.

"Why is he screaming again, though?" Antonio asked.

"Maybe…something happened?" Mathew guessed. "I'm sure that if he's with Alfred, he's only getting better."

"We don't even know if he's still with your frère," Francis sighed. "If something happened to him, I would never forgive myself."

"He's probably fine," Antonio assured him. "Let's keep moving. That direction is our best guess for now."

"Oui, you're right…" Francis sighed and started walking, not even caring if the other two were following. Arthur had to be okay. He just had to be. That blood wasn't his. Arthur was probably fine. Francis found himself walking faster.

"You can slow down, amigo," Antonio panted.

"Non, I cannot slow down," Francis stated. "If anything has happened to mon cher, I will never forgive myself or the one who did him wrong. I need to make sure he is okay."

"I understand," Mathew muttered and matched Francis' stride next to him.

"Merci," Francis smiled lightly to him.

For some, strange, reason, taking a look at the boy made Francis' worry lessen. How odd…

* * *

**Gasp! Side-pairing? Maybe... Okay, so I was able to sneak this in before I leave, but this is it until Sunday...Sorry. I put dedication into this one in for a lot of reasons, though. One, we finally got that kiss! And, two, this chapter marks the longest story I've ever written! 15 chapters! I couldn't leave you all hanging when I knew this was the next chapter! So, I decided to be nice and give it to you!**

**Tell me what you think! You're all the reason I've gotten this far! Longest story and it's only gonna get longer! Yay! XD (first smiley face I've ever put in here!)**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	16. Close

Alfred watched curiously as Arthur used to stick to right down weird symbols on the ground in-between them. He was mouthing something, but not making any noise. It just looked kind of weird for a while, but then Alfred felt a weird tingle down his spine. He looked at Arthur's face, how concentrated it looked. Arthur stopped mouthing the words and then his eyes snapped open for a second. And that was when the tingle in his sspine got extremely worse and he nearly fell on his back.

Then Arthur screamed in pain before he passed out. Quickly, Alfred got up and caught him before he fell onto the ground.

"Woah, there," he muttered and set Arthur down carefully. He looked over to check on Arthur's injured arm and found that the leaves that were there before had disappeared. However, he did see that the holes in Arthur's arms didn't go all the way through. The bone had already healed. "Nice going, Iggy," Alfred laughed to himself slightly.

He sat there for a while. Arthur told him to keep him still, right? So, moving him would be a bad idea… He was snapped out of his thoughts, though, when he heard people coming towards them.

"I heard the scream from over here," an unfamiliar voice said and Alfred nearly froze.

"You're sure?" another voice, this one was slightly familiar…That was Francis…

"Shit…" Alfred muttered and picked Arthur up in his arms. He stomped out the drawings and picked up the cloak before he ran back to where Gilbert had told them to stay. He barely made it out of sight by the time they got there. "Why did you have to scream?" Alfred groaned quietly and kept running back.

When he got back, though, he was met with a very pissed of Gilbert.

"I told you not to move, you dummkopf," Gilbert snapped. "The second I heard that scream, I knew you left. What the hell were you doing!"

"It was Arthur's idea," Alfred glanced down at the sleeping Arthur in his arms.

"Why is the cloak off his arm?" Gilbert groaned.

"Well, we don't need it anymore!" Alfred said excitedly. "Check out his arm!" Alfred looked down at the same time as Gilbert and found that most of the muscle had healed back, as well as the bone.

"What the hell did he do?" Gilbert asked.

"Magic or something, I dunno," Alfred shrugged. And then he remembered why he was running before. "We have to move. The kings and Mattie are close."

"Because he had to scream," Gilbert sighed and turned around to pick up the buckets and sack, which was filled with fruit.

"Hold on," Alfred said and moved Arthur so that he was riding on his back, rather than in his arms. "That's a lot easier…"

"Let's move," Gilbert said and they hurriedly made their way through the forest.

"Hey, I got an idea," Alfred said after a while. "How close are we to Klinster?"

"Very, why?" Gilbert asked.

"Well, what if we surprise Iggy?" Alfred asked. "We can make it into a forest in Klinster before he wakes up and he won't be able to tell the difference. And then we can make it to his castle and surprise him."

"If you want to highly raise our chances of getting arrested, be my guest," Gilbert sighed.

"We can get him in and out pretty quickly," Alfred said happily. "I mean, what was our plan to get him back before?"

"I imagined ditching him in some town," Gilbert chuckled. "As long as I don't have to go into that castle, I'll be fine."

"Aw, but don't you want to see your brother?" Alfred laughed.

"Nein, I'll be fine," Gilbert sighed. "And you don't need my backstory before you ask."

"Come on!" Alfred sighed. "Iggy trusted me with his."

"Does he even know yours?" Gilbert asked.

"Well, he's never asked," Alfred stated. "Mine's not very interesting, anyway."

"If you want to go to Klinster," Gilbert sighed. "We're going the wrong way. It's to the east, not north."

"Then let's go east!" Alfred said excitedly.

"Whatever you say…" Gilbert shook his head as they changed directions.

* * *

"I heard the scream from over here," Antonio muttered.

"You're sure?" Francis asked.

"I'm sure it came from here," Mathew said helpfully. He was still walking beside Francis, but Antonio had started walking ahead of them. He was better at this kind of thing. Mathew stared at the ground as they walked and that was when he noticed that the dirt on the ground looked odd. There were boot prints all over it and Mathew could see very faint symbols drawn on the ground.

"What is that?" Mathew asked out loud as they stopped.

"Runes?" Francis asked as he kneeled down on the ground.

"Someone was trying to hide it from us…" Antonio muttered. Mathew looked around for more boot tracks, but this was the only patch of dirt surrounded by grass. "No tracks…I think we just lost our lead…"

Mathew looked through the forest and his eyes widened when he saw Alfred running away, a sleeping Arthur in his arms. He quickly looked back towards Francis before either of them noticed where he was staring.

"What do we do now?" Mathew asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"We're so close," Francis sighed. "I can feel it…"

"If I'm making these runes out right, I think this was a healing spell…" Antonio said.

"Magic?" Mathew asked. "I didn't know that there was anyone who could use it anymore…"

"Mon cher used to be able to," Francis sighed. "Before that incident."

"Maybe it's possible he remembered how?" Mathew asked.

"Then, he's alive," Antonio said. "But we still don't know who was being healed."

Francis sighed heavily, leaning against a tree.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Mathew smiled and inwardly sighed when he saw Francis smile back. "We'll find him."

"Of course we will," Antonio stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "As long as you're not hiding anything else from us, amigo."

Mathew sighed. He had to protect his brother, but for some, strange, reason, he just wanted to help Francis. So, he took his best option and decided on a vague answer. "North."

"That's all you're giving us?" Antonio sighed.

"Well, it's a lead," Francis shrugged. And then he made a face like he just realized something. "And this means mon cher is still with his frère. Otherwise, Mathieu wouldn't care so much."

"Bueno," Antonio nodded and they all started moving.

Mathew just sighed and followed. Why did he want to help Francis so bad, even if it meant putting his brother in trouble?

* * *

"Are you sure it's safe for us to stop?" Alfred asked as he carefully set the sleeping Arthur down in the middle of a clearing Gilbert picked out.

"If they're following you from where Arthur did…whatever he did," Gilbert sighed, "they're probably going north. We'll be safe long enough for you to rest."

"What makes you think I need to rest?" Alfred asked.

"You've been carrying a full grown man for two days," Gilbert said bluntly. "If you didn't need to rest, I would feel concerned."

"I guess I am a little tired," Alfred slumped down on the ground to the left of Arthur. To be honest, now that he thought about it, he felt exhausted. Sleep was an amazing prospect. "What about you? You've been keeping watch this whole time."

"You should know by now that me 'keeping watch' is just me lightly sleeping up in a tree," Gilbert scoffed.

"Then how can I trust you to keep watch?" Alfred asked pointedly.

"Because I sleep lightly," Gilbert pointed out. "And they walk around loudly. I'm pretty sure even you would be able to hear them coming through your sleep."

"Fine," Alfred gave up and yawned. The only real reason was that he was barely keeping himself awake.

"Remember to keep his nightmares away, kid," Gilbert stated as he calmly walked through the forest, probably to find a nice tree to sleep in.

Alfred laid down next to Arthur and turned towards him. He looked so peaceful and perfect. His face was calm and he was lightly breathing. The only thing that could make it even more perfect would be if Alfred could have seen those beautiful, forest green eyes. Or maybe hear that laugh again. When the fairies were tickling his sides. Alfred sighed and hugged Arthur tightly, making Arthur turn on his left side. And Alfred smiled. Because Arthur was going to be okay and he was going to be home soon. And happy.

* * *

Gilbert was woken up by a small twig snapping. He opened one of his eyes up, but it was pitch black all around him. He was about to ask who was there, let them know he knew they were there, but something slammed him off his branch and forced him onto the ground at least 10 feet below. He wheezed when he felt the air leave his lungs and whoever slammed him landed on top of him.

"Who the hell are you?" Gilbert coughed out as he struggled to get his wind back.

"So it was you, amigo," Antonio's voice laughed and Gilbert scowled. As his eyes adjusted, he could see an obnoxious smile on the man's face.

"Yeah, it's me," Gilbert sighed. "Now get off!"

"Not until you tell me where he is," Antonio's expression darkened.

"Who?" Gilbert asked. He was far enough away from Alfred and Arthur to be able to get away with saying he didn't know them. As long as he could direct them somewhere else…

"Don't play dumb," Antonio threatened.

"Next time you threaten someone," Gilbert stated. "Maybe check to see if they know what the hell you're talking about."

"Mon ami, I think he really doesn't know," Francis sighed above them.

"Know _what_?" Gilbert demanded. This was his first time really acting and he was proud of himself for being so good at it.

"King Arthur and Prince Alfred," Antonio stated. "Where are they?"

"How the hell should I know?" Gilbert snapped. "Why would they even be together in the first place?"

"How long has it been since you've left this forest?" Francis asked.

"I don't know, a week? Other than the bar, you know," Gilbert stated and, finally, Antonio got off him, enabling him to sit upright.

"So you don't know mon cher's been kidnapped by Alfred?" Francis asked.

"Yeah, yeah, giant eyebrow guy," Gilbert said with a wave of his hand, though you couldn't see it in the darkness. "That's King Arthur?"

"Has no one in Larkin seen him?" Antonio asked.

"I haven't," Gilbert shrugged. "You know, I was sleeping pretty well up there before you tackled me. Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Why are you sleeping in a tree?" Francis asked curiously.

"Because I'm awesome," Gilbert grinned as he stood up. "Awesome people sleep in trees. Sleeping in clearings is for losers."

"If you're not with them, what are you doing this far out in the forest?" Antonio asked.

"Getting away," Gilbert sighed. "Relaxing. It's nice to do that, you know. And what makes you think they'd be up here, so close to Klinster?"

"That's what we were wondering," Francis sighed.

"If someone kidnapped the king, wouldn't they try to stay away from their kingdom? I doubt they would want to get caught," Gilbert sighed as he leaned against the tree he was just sleeping in. "Damn, my back hurts."

"Sorry, amigo," Antonio chuckled. "I was just sure you would be with them."

"Why would I be?" Gilbert asked.

"I've heard that Ludwig Weillschmidt's brother is Prince Alfred's advisor," Francis shrugged. "And I've also heard that Ludwig's brother is an albino."

"So you just assumed that I was his brother?" Gilbert blinked. "Dummkopf."

"There's also the fact that you speak the dead German language," Antonio stated. "Just like Ludwig."

"Look, I don't even know a Ludwig," Gilbert sighed. "If I did, I would force him to change the name because it's so lame."

"Well, guess we were wrong, then," Francis sighed. "Sorry for waking you up, mon ami. Good night."

"Ja, ja, Guten nacht," Gilbert sighed as he started climbing the tree again. He was happy to see them leaving in the opposite direction of Alfred and Arthur.

When Gilbert got to the top of the tree, he could easily see the clearing the two were in. They were still sleeping soundly, cuddling up against each other. Gilbert sighed as he adjusted himself. They must have kissed by now. They were already so lovey-dovey with each other.

* * *

**Ta-da! I'm not dead and I still wrote while I was up there! Yay! Sorry, absolutely nothing happened in this chapter. And absolutely nothing is going to happen next chapter. Very little things happen in a long amount of time, so, yeah... I'm also a little irked at my Antonio... For some reason, it's physically impossible for me to write happy peppy Antonio... Bah, whatever...**

**Anyway, I have a question for you guys. While I was camping, I realized that I wanted to put something in this story earlier, but I totally forgot about it. It would be in either chapter 3 or 4, back when they hated each other, and it was about using the bathroom. I don't know how I forgot about it, but I was thinking about it and I was wondering if you guys would want me to sneak that in tomorrow or the next day. It's a small snippit, but it's kinda funny in my mind, anyway. Tell me what you think!**

**And tell me what you think about this chapter, too!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	17. Cart Moving

"Get up, we're moving," Gilbert's voice snapped into Alfred's dream and he felt something rough kick his side.

"You didn't have to kick me," Alfred grumbled.

"Well I'm sorry," Gilbert laughed. "I didn't have your prince charming to kiss you awake."

"He's still not up?" Alfred finally opened his eyes and looked at Arthur, who he was still cuddling with.

"Nope," Gilbert shook his head and Alfred sat upright. He looked at Arthur's right arm and found that the skin was healed up, too. But it was an odd color, like a scar. So, the spell wasn't perfect… "We should get moving. Those three are close. I had another run in with them last night."

"Right," Alfred stood up. "I don't know how to get him on my back from the ground…"

"Just put him in your arms like before and then shift him from there," Gilbert suggested as he grabbed two apples from the bag. He started eating one as Alfred picked Arthur up, and then shifted him onto his back. "Eat," Gilbert said as he tossed Alfred the other apple. Alfred barely caught it without dropping Arthur.

"Do you realize how hard that is right now?" Alfred asked, still shaking out some sleep from his mind.

"It's not my fault you're stuck carrying him," Gilbert shrugged as he started walking and Alfred followed.

"I could say we could take turns, but I don't know how he would react if he woke up to you carrying him," Alfred sighed as he took a careful bite of the apple. "You should have given this to me before we left."

"We were in a hurry," Gilbert shrugged.

"That explains why we're calmly walking," Alfred sighed sarcastically.

"So now you're using sarcasm?" Gilbert laughed.

"Well, someone's gotta use it while Iggy's out," Alfred laughed and Arthur's head fell on his left shoulder.

"That doesn't mean someone should," Gilbert chuckled.

"So, how far to Klinster?" Alfred asked.

"About half a mile," Gilbert stated. "Then we have to manage going through a town and a major road without us getting recognized and then we can make it into the forest that leads to the castle."

"How are we going to do that, anyway?" Alfred asked. "It's not like we can waltz into a town carrying their king on my back…"

"I could probably steal a wagon," Gilbert sighed. "But since we don't have a horse, I think you're gonna have to pull it."

"Why me?" Alfred whined.

"Relax, it's only for about 10 minutes or so," Gilbert laughed.

"After that I'm sleeping," Alfred muttered. "Uninterrupted."

"You could always try the spell His Highness did and sleep for a while. Hitch a free ride on someone's back," Gilbert chuckled.

"I doubt you could even lift me," Alfred said proudly and took another bite from the apple.

"I'm not as weak as I look," Gilbert said, glancing behind himself.

"Yeah, yeah, I know that," Alfred rolled his eyes. "Why do I have to be the one to pull the cart?"

"Because you're the strongest," Gilbert grinned evilly.

"How about we test your strength?" Alfred asked. "You say you're strong, how about we test that?"

"No," Gilbert stated bluntly.

"Then you carry Iggy for a while," Alfred pouted. "I don't want to do all the hard work."

"What if he wakes up on my back?" Gilbert laughed. "That would be awkward and I don't want to get in the middle of your little love-fest."

Alfred grumbled to himself incoherently and took another bite from the apple.

* * *

"Looks like he's already left," Antonio muttered as they walked past the tree Gilbert was in last night.

"I don't blame him," Francis sighed and stretched, still trying to wake up. "You did shove him out of that tree last night."

"I just have a feeling that he has something to do with this…" Antonio sighed as they continued walking.

"Every time we've run into him, he's been alone," Francis stated. "If he had something to do with them, then wouldn't he be a little closer?"

"Why don't we ask Marvin," Antonio offered.

"Mathieu," Francis corrected.

"Whatever," Antonio sighed and looked back at the boy. It seemed that they had walked into a clearing. "Do you know if Gilbert is with them?" Mathew just stared at the ground and Antonio sighed. "You're barely useful…" Antonio sighed.

"He has been telling us general directions," Francis said helpfully.

"You don't sound very worried," Antonio said. "For someone who's fiancé has just been kidnapped."

"Hey, I am worried!" Francis pressed. "But we shouldn't press mon cher, Mathieu, to say anything he doesn't want to."

Antonio stopped dead. "What did you just call him?"

"What?" Francis asked and Antonio turned around. He noticed that Mathew had stopped next to Francis, a light blush coloring his cheeks.

"Ay Dios mío," Antonio groaned. "Don't tell me…"

"Wh-what's wrong?" Mathew asked quietly.

"Nothing," Antonio sighed, turned around, and continued walking. "Nothing at all."

"So, Mathieu," Francis said politely, "do you know where they are now?"

"Honestly, no," Mathew said. "I have no idea where they went."

"Aren't we close to a town in Klinster?" Antonio asked.

"Oui," Francis nodded. "Elbig, I believe."

"Then we should stop there and get food before we continue," Antonio said. "I don't want you complaining later on that you're hungry again."

"That was one time," Francis complained. "But, I won't pass up food, even if it's from Klinster."

"Is there something wrong with food from Klinster?" Mathew asked.

"It's disgusting," Antonio groaned. "To everyone but those in Klinster."

"I forgot you've never eaten whenever you've been in Klinster," Francis said. "Good thing."

"How far away is it?" Mathew asked.

"Not very, maybe a half-hour to an hour walk," Antonio said, looking up at the sky between the trees. They left the clearing a while ago.

"Trés bon," Francis said. "Because I am feeling slightly hungry…"

* * *

"I…Hate…You…" Alfred panted to Gilbert.

"Oh, relax, we made it," Gilbert said happily as he hopped down from the cart they had stolen.

"Barely!" Alfred snapped. He had to run the cart through the town and down a road for about 15 minutes straight, carrying two people, and then ran for another 10 minutes in the forest so no one could catch up to them. Gilbert had finally told him to stop when they made it into a very small clearing.

"We should move away from the cart," Gilbert said. "It might be too easy for them to find us."

"You can do that," Alfred panted as he went to the back of the cart to pick up Arthur. "I'm sleeping here, I don't care."

"Fine, I'll just move it," Gilbert laughed and started pushing the cart as soon as Arthur was off it and on Alfred's back. "You gonna cuddle with him again?"

"I'm just gonna set him against a tree," Alfred sighed and walked towards a tree. "If he wakes up next to me while I'm all asleep and sweaty, that won't be good."

"It's so cute how you care about your image," Gilbert cackled as he left the clearing with the cart.

"Loser," Alfred muttered quietly. He carefully set Arthur down in front of the tree so that he was sitting and leaning against it. His head lolled lifelessly to the side and Alfred put a hand in front of Arthur's mouth to make sure he was still breathing. "Please wake up soon," Alfred muttered quietly. "I'm getting tired."

And then he crawled out a few feet and fell asleep on his stomach, face-down in the grass.

* * *

"It's astounding how different the towns are, even so close to the border," Francis muttered as they entered Elbig. Compared to any town in Larkin, it was far busier and this was just a small town. The houses looked like they were made with care out of wood and there were plenty of stands for food. Even the road was better made, even though it was still a dirt road.

"Si," Antonio nodded. "Larkin does need to evolve more soon."

"They do their best with what they have," Mathew sighed. "And they can't use wood or the forest gets angry."

"Of course, Mathieu," Francis smiled and playfully messed with the kid's hair. And then Francis noticed that everyone they were walking by was bowing to them.

"I forgot everyone here actually knows what the kings look like," Antonio laughed.

"It does feel slightly weird," Francis sighed, but he still smiled at the attention, acknowledging all of those bowing. After that, though, everyone went back to their usual business. And Francis started overhearing a conversation of a stolen cart.

"Pardon moi," Francis came up to them and almost laughed at the girl's shocked expressions at him taking notice of them. "What was that about a stolen cart?"

"Um," one of the three girls giggled. "Well, I heard that an albino came through here not too long ago and stole a cart."

"Apparently," another girl came in, "it was found down the road a bit being pulled by some stranger into the forest."

"I heard the stranger was Prince Alfred," the last one swooned.

"He's so gorgeous," the first one sighed.

"Merci," Francis nodded at them and walked away, back to where Antonio was standing.

"Well?" Antonio asked.

"I do believe that they are in Klinster," Francis smiled.

"What are they doing here?" Mathew asked.

"I think they might be trying to sneak mon Arthur back into the castle while we try to find them," Francis noted.

"Then to the castle we go," Antonio laughed.

"And now we can finally stay out of a forest," Francis sighed. "Merci dieu, my hair was starting to get out of hand."

"Didn't you want food about 10 minutes ago?" Antonio asked.

"Oui, that's right," Francis nodded.

And so they set off in search of good food in Klinster.

* * *

**Bah, I hate this chapter... A lot of time had to pass and so little things happened, and it just sucks... Grr... Anyway, the side pairing is developing, on the bright side... Next chapter's gonna be a bit more exciting, I hope...**

**Please review! I love you guys and every review makes my day!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	18. Castle

Alfred woke up slowly, feeling grass going up his nose. He slowly flopped over to his other side and flinched when a short spurt of sun shone on his face.

"So, you're up," Gilbert laughed to Alfred's right. Alfred glanced over and saw that he was whittling a stick with his own knife. And that made Alfred remember that he still had the sheath to his own knife.

"Yeah," Alfred yawned and stretched, sitting up. Arthur was still sleeping against that tree he left him leaning against. "Hey, you still got the sheath to my knife?"

"Yeah," Gilbert said and tossed him the leather, which Alfred caught easily. Alfred ignored the obvious teeth marks and put his knife in it.

"We not in a hurry anymore?" Alfred asked.

"I doubt they would follow us to Klinster," Gilbert shook his head. "They may think you're an idiot, but not big enough of one to bring him back home."

"Hey, I think it's a good idea," Alfred crossed his arms in front of himself.

"I have no problem with it," Gilbert shrugged. "As long as I don't have to go near the castle."

"Scaredy cat," Alfred stuck his tongue out at him.

"Not falling for that," Gilbert stated. Alfred could hear the continuous scraping of the knife against the stick.

"Has he even moved?" Alfred asked.

"Not that I can tell," Gilbert muttered.

"How long was I out?" Alfred asked.

"A day," Gilbert said simply.

"A day?" Alfred demanded. "That couldn't have been a day."

"You haven't slept right since he's gotten injured," Gilbert said. "And you've been carrying a grown man constantly since then. Yeah, I'm sure it could have been a day."

"Shut up," Alfred rolled his eyes and laid back down on his back. "Do you know how close we are to the castle?"

"Not a clue," Gilbert shrugged. "All I know is that this forest leads to it. But I doubt it will be very close. I doubt they would want their castle near their borders."

"If we want to get there before he wakes up, we should get moving," Alfred noted, but he didn't feel like getting up quite yet.

"That's up to you," Gilbert chuckled slightly. Alfred felt a raindrop hit the middle of his forehead.

"It's raining," Alfred sighed as the drops started coming down faster.

"Well, no shit," Gilbert laughed. "If you paid attention when you were getting taught things you would know that it rains nearly every day here. But, unlike in Larkin, it's not a bad omen."

"You know I never paid attention to those lessons," Alfred grinned. He could feel himself getting drenched in the rain, but he still didn't feel like moving. He glanced over at Arthur, who seemed to be shielded from the rain pretty well by that tree.

"You paid attention to speaking," Gilbert laughed. "Otherwise you wouldn't like to do it so much."

"I don't talk nearly as much as you do," Alfred finally sat up and turned towards Gilbert. "I don't even know how many times I've heard you call yourself awesome."

"I only speak the truth," Gilbert smiled proudly.

"Maybe," Alfred shrugged. "But I think I'm more awesome than you."

"In your dreams, kid," Gilbert laughed.

"Well, I'm not scared of my little brother," Alfred teased.

"I'm not scared of him," Gilbert snorted. "Just don't like him anymore."

"Why not?" Alfred pressed.

"I already told you that I'm not telling you my life story," Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Aw, come on!" Alfred groaned.

"Nope," Gilbert grinned as he continued his whittling. "If you really want to get moving, I'd suggest you do it now before the rain gets even harder."

"It gets harder than this?" Alfred asked and he just noticed that they were talking louder than normal over the sound of the rain.

"It can hail sometimes," Gilbert laughed. "And I'm pretty sure that tree won't protect him from hail."

"Fine," Alfred sighed as he stood up. "Maybe the rain'll wake him up."

"You could try it," Gilbert shrugged as he stood up, too.

"Hey, where did you take that cart?" Alfred asked as he picked Arthur up and shuffled him onto his back.

"I returned it," Gilbert shrugged. "Seemed like the awesome thing to do."

"You know, heroes are naturally more awesome than just regular people," Alfred stated when Arthur was finally comfortably on his back.

"Be sure to tell me when you find a hero, then," Gilbert smiled. "I'm sure I would get along great with him."

Alfred just rolled his eyes and started walking.

* * *

The blackness clouding Arthur's mind was finally starting to clear. He could faintly hear voices, but they were slowly clearing up. And he could feel something similar to rain hitting his head. At least he thought it was his head.

Eventually, though, he felt his arm. It still hurt, leading Arthur to think that the spell he tried hadn't even worked in the first place. But it was a different kind of hurt. More like a dull throbbing. It was only mildly uncomfortable, rather than unbearable. So something must have happened.

Eventually, Arthur was finally able to open his eyes. His vision was a little jerky, like he was being carried or something. And he could see clearly that it was raining. He had to work to blink to clear his vision completely. They were still in the forest, which made Arthur slump slightly. But, when he saw a few of the fairies fly in front of his face, he couldn't hide a smile. They seemed so worried about him. Even Flying Mint Bunny tried to hug his side.

Once Arthur could finally see clearly where they were. There was something a little off about the forest, but Arthur couldn't quite place it. And then he noticed that he was being carried on someone's back. It took him a while to realize in his sleep clouded mind that it was Alfred who was carrying him.

"Alfred," Arthur's voice croaked and it seemed like Alfred jumped at the sound of his voice. Alfred's head moved to look at Arthur with a giant smile on his face.

"You're finally awake, dude!" he said excitedly.

"Why am I on your back?" Arthur asked bluntly. His voice did sound dreadful.

"Because it's easier than carrying you in my arms," Alfred shrugged.

"My arm still hurts," Arthur sighed, he still felt extremely tired.

"Can you move it?" Gilbert's voice asked.

Arthur blinked a few times and started moving his right hand. He could feel the fingers brush against his palm.

"Yes," Arthur affirmed. He started making his hand into a fist, trying to ignore how the pain got worse when he did that. Arthur finally risked looking at his hand, and found that in place of the hole was an oddly colored patch of skin. It was a scar… "Dammit…"

"What's wrong?" Alfred asked

"My arm didn't heal all the way," Arthur muttered.

"Well it healed the bone and the muscle and stuff," Alfred reassured him. "It may not have been perfect, but it's good enough."

"You can put me down now," Arthur said and finally cleared his throat.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Alfred said. "You've been asleep for a while, I don't think you can walk right yet."

"How long have I been asleep?" Arthur asked.

"Three days," Alfred muttered quietly.

"Three bloody days?" Arthur yelled, and nearly jerked out of Alfred's grip.

"Calm down, dude, it's fine," Alfred chuckled. "You haven't missed anything."

"It couldn't have been that long…" Arthur muttered and started moving his arm around a little. It hurt slightly to move it, but it wasn't unbearable. The fairies were stating to swarm around him, though.

"Are you okay?" they asked over and over again, even though Arthur nodded in answer to all of them.

"So, where are we?" Arthur asked, waving a few of them away.

"No clue," Alfred shrugged. "Somewhere deep in the forest. We were trying to get away from the other kings and I'm pretty sure we did it."

"Right," Arthur sighed. "If that's so then we should be able to stop so that I can try to stand."

"Maybe in a bit," Alfred flashed him a smile. "I just wanna see if we can make it to a town by the end of the day."

"Fine," Arthur sighed.

"Mind if I go ahead really quick?" Gilbert asked as he started walking ahead of them.

"Sure," Alfred nodded.

"Are you sure we're still in Larkin?" Arthur asked. "This doesn't look like the same forest."

"Of course it is," Alfred laughed awkwardly.

"It's not," Flying Mint Bunny whispered and Arthur wondered why he whispered when only Arthur could hear him.

"You're a bad liar," Arthur said as he shifted himself more comfortable.

"Hey! Am not!" Alfred whined.

"Where are we, Alfred?" Arthur asked.

"Nowhere," Alfred said simply.

The fairies looked like they were about to say where they were, but Gilbert cut them off.

"Oi, you two better see this," his voice was coming from beyond the a few trees in front of them.

"What is it?" Alfred asked curiously. Arthur noticed that the fairies and Flying Mint Bunny all immediately started flying towards Gilbert.

Alfred slowly walked towards Gilbert and through the trees. But what they saw nearly made Arthur's eyes bulge out of his head.

"A-Alfred, you…" Arthur couldn't even finish his sentence. Before them was the castle that he had called home most of his life. It's familiar color of gray bricks, the towers that he used to spend hours climbing to explore, and even a full-sized dragon flying around in circles around it. Arthur remembered that dragon from years ago… And the rain was hitting it just perfectly. It was magical again, like when he was little.

"Surprise?" Alfred smiled.

"Why are you bringing me back?" Arthur asked.

"Because I think my work's done," Alfred shrugged.

"But what if you get caught?" Arthur glared at him. "You're such an idiot."

"You're still my captive," Alfred stated. "So you're still doing what I say, okay?"

"Only if you let me walk," Arthur replied.

"Fine," Alfred sighed begrudgingly. Carefully, he stooped down and let go of Arthur's legs so that he stood up on his own and turned around. At first, when Arthur tried to stand up, his legs just crumbled beneath him, so he clung to Alfred's shirt before he fell. "Told ya you wouldn't be able to stand right," Alfred laughed as he held onto Arthur's wrists.

"Shut it," Arthur blushed and tried again to stand up with Alfred helping him. He felt a little wobbly, but he would probably be able to stand. And then, Arthur stole a quick kiss from Alfred, making some of the fairies around them sigh dreamily. "Thank you," Arthur said shyly as they separated. "For bringing me back."

"No problem," Alfred smiled.

"Excuse me while I go puke in a bush," Gilbert gagged and pushed in-between the two of them to go back to the forest. In the process, he nearly knocked Arthur over, but Alfred grabbed onto his arm to keep him up.

"You're excused," Alfred sighed as he helped Arthur stand up again.

* * *

"Wow, so this is his castle?" Mathew marveled as they walked up to the giant building.

"You've been in it before," Francis chuckled and messed up Mathew's hair. Mathew didn't know why, but it felt kind of comforting.

"Yeah, but I've always been in a carriage on our way here," Mathew admitted. "I've never really looked at the outside before."

"It's a little impressive," Antonio sighed. "Now that we're here, though, we need to alert the guard to watch for anyone sneaking in. If we're lucky they'll come over soon, but there's no telling how long it may take."

"I don't really think we need to work all that hard," Francis shrugged. "I mean, it's hard to miss Arthur."

"What happened to you wanting to get him back at all costs, amigo?" Antonio raised an eyebrow. "And wanting to kill whoever kidnapped him?"

"I still care about getting him back," Francis sighed. "Here, how about mon cher and I go and tell the guards?"

"You do that," Antonio shook his head and Mathew felt a large blush grow on his face. That happened the last time Francis called him "mon cher." He didn't know why he cared so much. But, he did really like it when Francis called him that.

"Come on," Francis said as he started walking.

"O-Oui," Mathew stuttered and followed after him into the massive castle.

* * *

**Arthur's awake! Yay! And something good finally happened while Gilbert was around! But we can all tell Alfred's plan is going to go down horribly, right? Betcha can't guess what's gonna happen.**

**Anyway, review, please!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	19. Stuck

"It's pretty, on the bright side," Alfred sighed. He and Arthur were sitting on the grass, the castle in clear view in front of them. Arthur could see the dragon and maybe a hundred fairies flying around it as the sun was setting. And he had just finished eating that bag of fruit they were carrying around.

"Yeah, it is," Arthur sighed and leaned against Alfred, his head resting on his shoulder. "So, you're bringing me back tonight?"

"Yeah," Alfred leaned his head on top of Arthur's.

"You know, this trip has felt a lot longer than it's really been," Arthur laughed slightly. "It feels weird to go back now."

"I'm sure Francis'll be happy to see you," Alfred said. "Considering you two are engaged and all…"

"Not for long," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Alfred asked happily.

"Well, I already hate him," Arthur laughed at Alfred's reaction. "And I wouldn't be able to marry anyone if I love you."

"Thanks," Alfred smiled. "Gotta say I'll miss ya, though."

"It's not like you'll never see me again," Arthur scoffed. "As long as you don't get arrested."

"You promise to see me in that sad, little territory again?" Alfred laughed.

"Yes, I will visit you in Larkin," Arthur glanced up at Alfred, who was smiling back down at him. Arthur couldn't help but think after he said that, _But it won't be a territory any more._ "What time to you intend on bringing me back?"

"Probably after the sun comes down," Alfred said. "So it's easier to sneak in unseen."

"Do you even know any places to sneak in?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Well, no," Alfred rubbed the back of his head, laughing slightly. "Maybe you could help me out?"

"Do you really suspect that I would know places to sneak in?" Arthur snorted.

"Well, you've lived in it long enough," Alfred laughed. "If I were a kid and I lived in that, I would have explored every inch of it."

"Yes, well I did explore a tad," Arthur admitted. "So I know of a servant side entrance that I would sneak out of all the time. It's fairly close to one of the hedges in the front garden, so it will be easy to sneak into without being seen."

"I knew you were a kid once," Alfred joked.

"I didn't grow up _that _quickly, Alfred," Arthur rolled his eyes. "I wanted to, though…My brothers would always tease me about seeing the fairies…"

"I would tease Mattie about the stutter he used to have," Alfred chuckled slightly. "He would always try to beat me up for it, but we were little so it never did much damage."

"Older brothers are always the same," Arthur laughed. "You are older, right?"

"According to Ma, by about 10 minutes," Alfred smiled. "But, then again her sense of time was kinda warped during that, so you never know."

"Do you have any other siblings?" Arthur asked curiously. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he knew practically nothing about Alfred.

"Nah, but I have a shit load of cousins," Alfred laughed.

"What are your parents like?" Arthur asked.

"Never knew my dad," Alfred sighed. "But Ma's awesome. She can make the best food in the world! And she was the one who told me to try for the whole prince thing."

"Good thing," Arthur smiled. "You've made for a good spokesperson for Larkin so far."

"I've been told that," Alfred stretched.

"Do you remember when I told you that you wouldn't make a good king?" Arthur asked randomly.

"Yeah," Alfred said, slightly disappointedly.

"Well, I haven't changed my mind about that," Arthur muttered. Before Alfred could respond, though, Arthur continued. "Kings are harsh, I remember that from my father. They bluntly make decisions that only concern them and make sure they come out on top. That's not you at all. It's not quite me either…"

"So, are you giving me a compliment there?" Alfred laughed.

"Yes, you twit," Arthur elbowed him slightly.

"Well, I'll tell you when I come up with the leader for my new government so you know what to call yourself," Alfred smiled.

"I'm not much of a leader," Arthur sighed.

"Sure you are," Alfred looked down at him, but Arthur was just looking down at the ground. And then Arthur felt Alfred's thumb on his chin, making him look up at Alfred. Arthur felt a deep blush on his face as he looked at his blue eyes and noticed that they were brighter than the darkening sky. "You can be a great king. Just try not being a tyrant once in a while and you're gonna do okay. Trust me."

"Y-yeah, okay…" Arthur muttered.

"You can do it," Alfred kissed his forehead lightly.

"Just tell me what to call myself once you complete that government of yours," Arthur blushed.

"Sure thing," Alfred messed up his hair, which Arthur immediately went to fix. Alfred just laughed.

"Hey, lovebirds," Gilbert's voice sounded off behind them and Arthur and Alfred both let out a silent groan. "If you wanna get moving, do it now. The sun's just gone down."

"Right," Alfred sighed and stood up, then held out a hand to help Arthur up, which he took. "Ready?"

"I guess so," Arthur muttered.

"Better tell me which way I'm going towards that secret door of yours," Alfred laughed.

"Just go forward," Arthur laughed slightly as they started walking towards the castle. The moon was rising in the sky, slowly becoming their only form of light.

* * *

"This way," Arthur whispered as they emerged into the front garden. Alfred could barely see anything in the dark, so he was holding onto Arthur's wrist. Arthur was slowly leading them through bushes. "Stop," Arthur hissed quietly. Alfred did so, looking over Arthur head as the crouched behind a bush. He could see a guard walk by.

"There usually guards in the garden?" Alfred asked in a hushed voice.

"Not this many," Arthur muttered. Alfred looked around a little more and saw that there were several. "Francis might have come here before us and beefed up security."

"Think we'll still make it in?" Alfred asked.

"If we're lucky," Arthur sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "He's moved, let's go." They quickly and quietly ran up to the wall of the castle. "Get down," Arthur ordered and they crouched close to the ground.

"You know, this is kinda fun," Alfred laughed quietly. "I feel like a spy or something."

"This isn't a game," Arthur rolled his eyes. "You could get arrested."

"Relax, I'll be fine," Alfred smiled proudly. "Where now?"

"Over here," Arthur whispered and they started slowly on their way towards another wall of the castle. Faintly through the dark, Alfred could see a small, wooden door. "Quickly, go," Arthur muttered quickly and they started running for the door. Alfred could see a guard pacing towards them just as the door quietly closed behind them.

It was practically pitch dark around them, except for small torches that were lit among the walls. Alfred held on tighter to Arthur's wrist.

"You hold onto that any harder and it's going to fall off," Arthur whispered, but there was humor in his voice.

"Sorry," Alfred muttered and they continued slowly on their way.

"I'm sure they wouldn't put guards down here," Arthur muttered. "But…how far are you going to go with me?"

"How far do you want me to go?" Alfred asked.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you," Arthur sighed. "You shouldn't go much further than this…"

"Then should we say good-bye here?" Alfred stopped as they passed by a window, the moonlight streaming in. "Seems like a romantic enough place, right?"

"God, that sounds lame," Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. But he stopped in front of Alfred nonetheless. "I guess I will see you around?"

"Sure will," Alfred forced out a smile. "And we can write letters and shit like that, right?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded.

"See ya around," Alfred muttered, forcing himself not to cry and stole a kiss from Arthur. He was about to separate them and quickly walk away, but Arthur forced him to stay with hands on the back of his head. Alfred didn't protest and he could have honestly stayed there forever.

Until they heard a voice say, "There!" Quickly, they separated and Arthur had a look of panic on his face. He mouthed the word "run" and Alfred was ready to bolt. But he felt something like a poll slam into his stomach, slamming him onto the ground.

"God!" Alfred cried out as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Arthur," Francis' voice said worriedly. Alfred could faintly see around the person holding him down that Francis was looking Arthur over.

"Francis!" Arthur shouted at him. "L-let him go!"

"Are you okay?" Francis muttered and Alfred saw him leading Arthur away. Alfred fought to try to get up, but whoever was holding him down didn't relent.

"Not so fast, señor," the man said harshly and Alfred looked up at him, the moonlight giving him a good look. He had dark brown hair and harsh, green eyes that were glaring at him. He was holding what looked like a giant axe, the bottom end was jabbed into Alfred's stomach.

"Let me go," Alfred wheezed. "I didn't do anything."

"You kidnapped the king of the most powerful empire in the world," the man glared at him.

"Then at least tell me who the hell you are!" Alfred snapped.

"King Antonio," the man snapped.

"Fantastic," Alfred slumped against the ground.

"Get up," Antonio demanded, lifting the axe.

"Sure thing," Alfred sighed and forced himself onto his feet. Before he knew what was happening, he was forcefully turned around and he felt shackles close on both of his wrists behind his back. "Never felt these things on both my wrists before," Alfred laughed.

"Shut up and move," Antonio snapped at him.

"Just tell me which way," Alfred complied.

"Left," Antonio said simply.

"Cool," Alfred nodded and turned left and started walking. "So, you know Artie well?"

"You should address him as King Arthur," Antonio said coldly.

"I'm just trying to make small talk," Alfred shrugged.

"Well, stop it and shut up," Antonio snapped.

"But being quiet isn't my forte," Alfred whined.

"It is if you don't want a limb cut off by this axe," Antonio stated. And that made Alfred quiet down. They walked for a while and Alfred's eyes were finally adjusting to the low lighting. Antonio would give him the occasional direction to go, but that was about it. Alfred noticed that he was being led down a lot of stairs and it was starting to get cold and damp.

"So, does this mean that I'm officially arrested?" Alfred asked casually.

"Si," Antonio nodded.

"Is that yes?" Alfred asked, looking over his shoulder at Antonio.

"Yes, you idiot," Antonio sighed.

"Sweet," Alfred smiled, ignoring the insult. "Hey, wait, am I gonna get killed for this?"

"Maybe," Antonio stated.

"Who does it rely on, exactly?" Alfred asked curiously.

"Keep talking and I will split your cabeza," Antonio threatened. Alfred honestly had no idea what that meant, but it sounded threatening so he just kept quiet.

Eventually, once they rounded down a spiral staircase, they entered something that looked like a dark hallway, lit by one torch in the center. There were walls of bars on either side, a few of them had people behind them. Without a word, Antonio opened up one of the cells and shoved Alfred inside it.

"You might wanna take off the shackles before you leave," Alfred called after him, but Antonio just left. "No? That's cool, too!"

"Idiot," someone murmured in the cell in front of Alfred's.

"I like to think of it as unrecognized genius," Alfred winked at him, even though he couldn't see him.

"So, what did you do?" someone asked beside him.

"Ah, nothing big really," Alfred muttered as he brought his hands to the floor and jumped over the chain to the shackles, bringing them in front of him. "Anyone got like a pin or something?"

"What are you doing?" another one asked. And Alfred finally noticed that there was a guard sitting at the end of the hallway, a rifle and sword at his sides.

"Just looking for something to entertain myself with," Alfred shrugged and looked at the ground, where he luckily saw a pin. "Hey, this'll work."

* * *

**Hehe, I'm not very good at writing my Author's Notes recently... And I don't know what to put...so I'm just gonna go with wish Alfred luck getting out and I bet you're wondering about what Arthur and Francis talked about when they walked away.**

**Review, please. It's the right thing to do.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	20. Business

It was a blissful kiss while it lasted. And Arthur could have stayed there forever. Until that damn voice interrupted them. Arthur tried to make Alfred run, but it was too late.

Before he knew what was happening, Arthur was pulled away by Francis. He gripped both of Arthur's shoulders and looked him over worriedly.

"Arthur," he sighed, relieved.

"Francis!" Arthur shouted, glancing at Alfred. "L-let him go!"

"Are you okay?" Francis asked and started leading Arthur further down the hall.

"I'm fine," Arthur rolled his eyes. "I don't like to be ignored. I told you to let him go, Francis."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that," Francis sighed. "But it is good to see you back."

"Are you telling me that I cannot decide what happens to a prisoner in my own home?" Arthur demanded.

"Not right now," Francis shook his head. "You are recovering from a traumatic experience."

"Traumatic?" Arthur spat. "I will have you know that most of the time I was there, it was because I wanted to be."

"Ah, it is worse than I thought," Francis sighed heavily. "Do not worry, I will get that brainwashing out of your head soon."

"What? No!" Arthur yelled. "Stop!"

"Are you okay, mon ami?" Francis asked tilting his head as they stopped.

"I'm not bloody brainwashed!" Arthur snapped at him. "Alfred did absolutely nothing to harm me and he doesn't deserve to be arrested!"

"He kidnapped you!" Francis argued.

"And he brought me back!" Arthur glared at him. "He did absolutely nothing wrong."

"Je suis desolé," Francis shook his head, "but you can have no say in this."

"Am I allowed to do anything now that I'm back?" Arthur crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I guess you could do regular business," Francis shrugged.

"Fine, then," Arthur sighed and started walking, Francis following close behind. "If that's the case then the first thing I want done is that I want King Ivan arrested."

"What? Why?" Francis asked and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I have a good reason," Arthur stated, curling his right hand into a fist.

"And you must tell me that," Francis insisted.

"I know the assassins from the night my family was killed were sent by him," Arthur stated.

"Where is your proof?" Francis asked.

"The fact of where they're from is enough," Arthur stated.

"That is nowhere near enough proof to have a king arrested!" Francis yelled at him.

"Fine!" Arthur stopped. "Then, what about this?" Arthur lifted up his right arm in front of his face, showing it to Francis. "Those scars are from the day in Larkin that it was raining. I know you were in that town, you were probably meeting up with Ivan or something. He had a voodoo doll made of me and sewed through my arm and if you think that isn't good enough evidence to have him arrested, I want you to go through the pain I did and tell me it didn't hurt at all."

Arthur started walking again.

"And if you even ask to see that doll," Arthur shook his head, "I will have you arrested as well."

"You kept the doll?" Francis asked.

"I couldn't keep it with him!" Arthur yelled at him. "Alfred was kind enough to keep it safe while I was recovering. And now I have it." That was true, Alfred gave him the doll before they came and Arthur was keeping it in his boot.

"You trusted that stranger to hold your voodoo doll?" Francis asked, appalled.

"Yes, Francis, I did," Arthur snapped. "Because while it was happening, Alfred was doing everything in his power to try to save me. Whereas, in that situation, I know you would probably just be worrying about yourself and how to get you out of that mess."

"I would not-" Francis started, but Arthur cut him off.

"Francis, I've known you since I was little," Arthur rolled his eyes. "You would have completely ignored me."

"What happened to you while you were in Larkin?" Francis asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Arthur stated calmly.

"You've changed, Arthur," Francis stated.

"Hm, well I guess I had my eyes opened," Arthur grinned slightly. Flying Mint Bunny had been flying beside them the whole time. And Arthur did notice a few of the fairies trying to mess with Francis.

"What are you talking about?" Francis asked as they stopped in front of Arthur's room.

"If you excuse me, I have work to do," Arthur hummed and waltzed into his room, slamming the door in Francis' face.

"Why won't he let Alfred go?" a fairy asked.

"Because he's a twat," Arthur shook his head. He noticed that there was actually a lamp lit in his room. "Looks like they were expecting me to come back after all…"

"So, what are you going to work on?" Flying Mint Bunny asked.

"Too many things at once," Arthur laughed and pet the creature. He went to his desk in the middle of the room, where the lamp was lit. It was exactly the way he left it, with paper, pen, and an ink well just primed and ready. Arthur sighed, sat down, and started working.

* * *

Meanwhile, Francis was standing outside, listening through the door as Arthur talked to himself.

Francis sighed, he thought Arthur was over his "imaginary friends." He frowned when he heard Arthur call him a twat, but it was better than frog, like usual. And then Francis heard something he hadn't heard in a while. Arthur laughed.

Francis slumped against the wall next to Arthur's door. He had stopped talking and there was the sound of a pen scratching coming from the room. Francis had figured that his love for Arthur had dwindled a while ago, but he figured seeing him might reignite that love. Not even that laugh changed his mind.

"Francis?" Mathew's voice asked through the darkness.

"Oui?" Francis asked in response.

"I-I heard Arthur's back," Mathew murmured as he came into view.

"He's in his room," Francis rolled his eyes. "He said he had work to do, but I have no idea what that is."

"So…does this mean you found Alfred, too?" Mathew asked shyly.

"Oui, mon cher," Francis smiled lightly. "He has been arrested."

"Do you know what will happen to him next?" Mathew asked.

"Maybe," Francis sighed. "Je ne sais pas."

"Maybe we should find Antonio," Mathew offered and Francis nodded. They left quietly and silently made their way down to where the dungeon was, and where Antonio might still be. They didn't have to go down into the bowels for very long before they saw Antonio slowly making his way up.

"Bonjour, mon ami," Francis nodded towards him.

"I don't like being mean," Antonio slumped against the wall, setting down his axe. "I don't know why you gave me that job."

"Because I had to make sure Arthur was okay," Francis grinned. "Besides, I'm sure you did fine."

"Not really," Antonio muttered. "He didn't sound very scared at all, to be honest."

"Al just faces things like this with humor," Mathew said helpfully. "It's like how he copes with things."

"He nearly made me laugh when I was leaving," Antonio chuckled and stood up. "Anyway, since we got him back, I will probably be leaving tomorrow to get to my Lovi."

"Oui, you deserve it," Francis nodded. "I will stay here for a few days before going back home myself with Mathieu."

"Are you still thinking about marrying him?" Antonio quirked an eyebrow.

"What would make you ask that?" Francis scoffed.

"Just an assumption, amigo," Antonio shrugged. "That, and if you still loved him, you would be down there to chew out the kid. Then I wouldn't have the mean roll."

"You did fine, Antoine," Francis assured him. "And, I think I might break it off…"

"Really?" Mathew asked. "Why?"

"Well, I guess personal feelings aren't there anymore," Francis sighed. "But Arthur may have a different perspective, since his family is gone and his family must continue."

"You don't feel anything for Arthur anymore?" Mathew tilted his head cutely.

"Oui," Francis smiled at him.

"Shocker," Antonio scoffed.

"Are you just grumpy because it's been so long since you've seen Lovino?" Francis teased.

"Si," Antonio sighed. "I miss mi tomate…"

"You will live," Francis laughed. "You should sleep, if you are leaving tomorrow. Should I show you to a room?"

"Sure," Antonio picked up his axe and they started towards Antonio's room.

* * *

**I'm so sorry this one is short! But what happens next must happen the next day, and it would just be awkward to put it in at the end here... Anyway, I hope this explains slightly why Antonio was OOC last chapter. He's a king, he has to at least seem intimidating and he was given the tough job of being mean. **

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! I love all of you!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	21. Escape

Arthur yawned, trying to wipe some of the sleep from his eyes. He had noticed the morning light streaming into his room a while ago, but he still hadn't decided to sleep yet, he had far too much work to do. He even ignored the servants who brought in food for him. He was just about finished with the bill he was working on when he heard an odd sound coming from his window.

"What the bloody hell…" Arthur muttered and stood up. Flying Mint Bunny flew to the window, looked down, and just started laughing. All of the fairies were doing the same, one at a time. Arthur sighed and swatted them away as he walked towards the window. Two elves were trying to jump to look out the window.

Before Arthur got too close to the window, though, he heard a very familiar voice.

"Dammit, this better be the right window or I'm just gonna leave," it muttered. "Bah, I gotta see Artie before I go…Please let this be the right one…"

Arthur placed his hands on the bottom of the window and looked down.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked curiously. Alfred was clinging to the bricks on the wall, looking like he was climbing.

"What's it look like?" Alfred beamed up at him as he climbed a little more so that he was maybe a foot away from Arthur. "I'm gonna say good-bye before I leave!"

"Didn't we already do that, love?" Arthur laughed.

"But this is so much more romantic, in my opinion," Alfred muttered as he tried to find another good foothold. "And you have no idea how many windows I've looked in before this. I made this one girl so mad!"

"How long have you been climbing the walls of the castle?" Arthur asked.

"Since I escaped," Alfred said simply and climbed a little higher. "Which was last night."

"So you've been climbing this castle all night?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, and my arms and legs hurt," Alfred laughed slightly as he finally climbed high enough to lean into the window, making Arthur take a step back to give him room.

"Care to step in?" Arthur asked, not even trying to hold back a laugh.

"Nah, I'll just be here for a bit," Alfred smiled. "How ya been?"

"Fine," Arthur said, stifling a yawn.

"You been up all night, too?" Alfred asked teasingly.

"Yes, I have," Arthur nodded and held Flying Mint bunny when it flew in his arms.

"Aw, worried about me?" Alfred laughed.

"No, I've been busy," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"That hurts," Alfred quickly placed a hand on his heart before clinging to the window sill again.

"Do you know how you're even going to get down?" Arthur asked.

"I think I'll just jump," Alfred said, looking down. "Slide along the roof and stuff."

"How did you even escape in the first place?" Arthur chuckled.

"I found a pin on the floor," Alfred shrugged. "You know I'm a hero and heroes always find a way out to get to their princess!"

"Sure," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Well, we should say goodbye before my arms fall off," Alfred weakly smiled. "That, and Gil's probably worried, he's been waiting in that forest all night."

"Goodbye, love," Arthur laughed.

"I didn't come all this way for that," Alfred laughed.

"Then maybe you came for this," Arthur chuckled and quickly went to his desk and picked up one of the pieces of paper he had worked on all night.

"Paper?" Alfred asked as Arthur handed it to him.

"It's what's on the paper, twit," Arthur laughed.

"Well, I can't read very well, to be honest," Alfred chuckled awkwardly.

"Then have Gilbert read it to you or something," Arthur smiled. "See you around." Arthur leaned down for a quick kiss from Alfred. And then he heard the door behind him open.

"Mon dieu," Francis' voice muttered and Arthur quickly turned around.

"Well, see ya," Alfred laughed and dropped from view in the window. Arthur leaned over the window and saw Alfred carefully, but quickly, making his way down the side.

"I will get the guards," Francis said quickly.

"That won't be necessary," Arthur grinned as he watched Alfred get away. "Take a look at that paper on the top of the pile on the desk."

"Porquoi?" Francis asked but when Arthur turned around, he was reading the paper anyway. Arthur leaned against the wall next to the window, crossing his arms in front of himself. He felt a few fairies land on his head and Flying Mint Bunny made Francis sneeze.

"Well?" Arthur asked smugly.

"Alfred Jones is off the wanted list," Francis muttered, slightly angry.

"Oh, my. Did I forget to add the F in his name?" Arthur grinned. "You said I couldn't do anything about him as a prisoner, but he is no longer a prisoner like this, right?"

"I do not think you are thinking through things clearly," Francis sighed, setting the paper down. He glanced at another one and his eyes widened. "You gave Larkin independence?"

"Yes, actually, I did," Arthur said as he started walking towards the desk. "I made two copies of that one, the other is headed back towards Larkin."

"What else have you been doing?" Francis gaped as he started shuffling through the papers.

"Well, the Larkin forest is now under the protection of the crown," Arthur started. "I have lifted some taxes from the other territories. I wrote up the arrest warrant for Ivan. I have also decided that we should try to find a cure for that disease that was going around Larkin. I do have a few more things to tend to, though," Arthur stated as he sat down at his chair.

"Why?" Francis asked as he looked through and read the papers.

"I told you I had my eyes opened in Larkin," Arthur stated. "That was the whole point of the kidnapping Alfred planned."

"And so, that kiss you just shared was…?" Francis asked as he set the papers down.

"Am I not allowed to kiss someone I love?" Arthur asked simply and held back a laugh as the fairies started playing around on the table in front of him.

"You are in love with the man that kidnapped you?" Francis looked at him like he was crazy.

"Is there a problem?" Arthur asked, watching as the fairies started wrestling with each other.

"Won't that cause a small problem with our engagement?" Francis asked, leaning a hand on the table. Arthur snickered silently as the fairies tried attacking it. Francis just scratched his hand.

"I have been meaning to talk to you about that," Arthur smiled at the fairies. "I do think it would be in our best interest if we broke it off."

"What about your blank family line?" Francis asked. "And your apparent inability to continue your family line?"

"I will ignore that last comment," Arthur shook his head. "And I will figure out a way to work around my family line. There is plenty other nobility in Klinster, we might have popular sovereignty solve that problem."

"You will rely on the people to decide the new royal family?" Francis demanded.

"Why not?" Arthur asked simply and finally looked up at his face. "Is there something so wrong with having my subjects that I rely on dearly decide who will lead them?"

"That is crazy talk," Francis gaped at him.

"Maybe it is," Arthur sighed. "But I've been crazy for a while now."

"I heard you talking to your 'friends' last night," Francis muttered.

"Did you, now?" Arthur asked, uninterested, as he turned back to the papers and started writing a new one.

"I thought you got over them a while ago," Francis sighed and Arthur heard the fairies feverishly attacking his arm, he just hit it like they were a mosquito.

"When was the last time you saw them?" Arthur asked curiously.

"What?" Francis asked.

"You had imaginary friends once," Arthur muttered. "When was the last time you saw them?"

"I do not know, when I was six?" Francis guessed.

"That's a shame," Arthur shook his head.

"What are you talking about?" Francis asked.

"Nothing," Arthur hummed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Arthur didn't look up when Francis told the person to come in.

"I heard Arthur was back," said a familiar voice behind Arthur.

"Yes, hello, Ludwig," Arthur stated simply.

"Guten Tag," Ludwig said in response.

"Francis, if you wouldn't mind, I want to have a word with Ludwig privately," Arthur said, putting his pen in the inkwell.

"Oui," Francis said and left the room, the door closing behind him.

"So, Ludwig," Arthur stood up and turned around towards the tall German behind him, leaning against his chair. "I've heard that your brother is the advisor to Prince Alfred. Is that true?"

"Ja," Ludwig nodded. "Did you meet him while you were kidnapped?"

"He was actually one of my kidnappers," Arthur chuckled. "But it seemed like he didn't want to talk about you, why is that?"

"We haven't gotten along as of late," Ludwig stated.

"Naturally," Arthur laughed and laughed even more when Ludwig seemed taken aback by it. "It has occurred to me that I don't know very much about you, my advisor. So, how about we take a gander at your past. I am actually quite curious about you two. It seems you're the last of the German empire. How about we start with that?"

"Well…"

* * *

Gilbert sighed as he leaned against a tree. He was nearly at the point of pacing. He had been gone all night, which meant that the idiot probably got himself arrested. Gilbert was about to go into the castle and risk seeing his brother to find him, but then he saw someone calmly walking from the castle towards him. Eventually, he could see Alfred's sandy blonde hair and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"You dummkopf!" Gilbert snapped at him once he came into hearing distance.

"I got out, didn't I?" Alfred laughed. He was holding a small, folded square in his hand.

"You got arrested," Gilbert sighed. "I told you that you shouldn't have gone."

"Why not?" Alfred asked as he finally walked up, next to Gilbert. "I got to say goodbye and see that he got home safe and I got out. Nothing bad happened."

"Whatcha got in your hand?" Gilbert glanced at the piece of paper.

"Oh, Iggy gave it to me," Alfred said, his voice wavering slightly. A small frown traced on his face for a second before he smiled again. "You know I can't read," Alfred handed him the piece of paper.

"It's probably some kind of love letter," Gilbert rolled his eyes as he took the paper. He unfolded it and felt very confused when he saw how official looking it was. He read through it once, but had to do it again to make sure he read it right. He let out a small laugh. "Nice going, kid."

"What?" Alfred asked, trying to look at the paper. "What does it say, dude?"

"Looks like your stupid idea paid off," Gilbert laughed. "Take this back to Larkin."

"Why?" Alfred whined. "What the hell does it say?"

"You got your independence," Gilbert patted his shoulder.

"What?" Alfred grabbed the paper and looked like he was trying to read it.

"Turns out you knew what you were doing," Gilbert laughed.

"Dude!" Alfred laughed and jumped up and down in excitement. "This is awesome! I can't wait to bring it back!"

"We better head out soon, then," Gilbert chuckled and started walking. When Alfred didn't follow, though, Gilbert turned around and saw that he was just staring at the castle. "Staring and hoping he will come back won't do much good."

"I already miss him," Alfred muttered, staring at the ground now.

"If you want, I could try to teach you how to read and write and you two could exchange letters," Gilbert chuckled.

"Really?" Alfred turned towards him.

"Yeah, and you'll be able to talk to him," Gilbert laughed. "Come on, we need to get the news to Larkin fast. Remember, we don't want a revolution."

"Right," Alfred said and jogged after him.

* * *

**Dude, I've been planning that first bit since before I started writing this story! It was a lot harder to write than I thought... But whatevs! And, sorry, you won't be hearing the story from Ludwig. I can't write him very well at all, so having a speech from him would be extremely awkward, so you'll hear it from Gil eventually, and I know exactly how!**

**Please review! It's nice and I'll love you for it! If we're lucky, I might get this done before school starts.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	22. The View

"Arthur," someone's voice broke into Arthur's dream. Arthur rolled over on his bed and glared at the person who dared interrupt his sleep, but it lessened when he saw that it was Ludwig.

"Yes?" Arthur sighed and started sitting up.

"I was told to remind you to be in the throne room today," Ludwig said quickly and politely.

"Right," Arthur yawned. He almost forgot that he was supposed to talk to his subjects for the first time since he had left that day. "I'll be out in a minute."

Ludwig simply nodded and left the room, closing the door. Arthur finally stood up and sighed. He did slightly miss waking up with Alfred right next to him. But that was four days ago when he woke up on Alfred's back... But he did have the fairies and Flying Mint Bunny, which did make him smile slightly. Arthur quickly fixed his hair and put on some clothes.

"Excited to see them?" a fairy asked.

"Yes," Arthur smiled. "In fact, I am."

"Can we go with you?" Flying Mint Bunny asked.

"I'm sure, even if I said no, you would still come," Arthur laughed.

"Maybe," a fairy giggled.

Arthur just laughed, rolling his eyes, and departed out of his room, making his way to the throne room. It had been a while since he had been in the castle, so he had to think a little bit about where he was going, but he eventually made it to the throne room. Ludwig was waiting for him in front.

"Please pardon my lateness," Arthur said simply as he walked into the room. He stopped when he got a really good look at the throne on the end. It just looked so gaudy and…intimidating. "Do you think there is any way we could change that out for just a regular chair?"

"What?" Ludwig asked. "Why?"

"Well, with this kind of thing, shouldn't I at least look inviting to talk to?" Arthur asked. "I'm supposed to be nice, but that just seems intimidating. I wouldn't even want to talk with myself if I sat on that thing."

"I will look into it," Ludwig stated.

"Right, then," Arthur smiled and walked up to the throne.

"Good luck," a fairy kissed him on the cheek.

"It's not like I'm facing an army," Arthur whispered, rolling his eyes, and sat down.

The first person that came in, though, surprised him. It was a little girl, no older than six. At first, she looked terrified and shy, but she saw the fairies that were around Arthur and let out a giggle.

"Hello," Arthur smiled at her. He did feel awkward sitting on this throne now… "What is your name?"

"Allison," she said politely, bowing.

"It is wonderful to meet you, Allison," Arthur nodded. He noticed that the fairies practically swarmed around her, making her laugh even more. "And I can see that the fairies are excited, too."

"You can see them too?" Allison marveled.

"Yes," Arthur laughed and leaned forward. "Might I ask what a little girl like you is doing asking a king for help?"

"Well, mommy and daddy are sick," Allison said, seeming just a little depressed. "And we live close to Larkin and they think it's their sickness."

"If that's so, then there's nothing to worry about," Arthur smiled. "I have recently started a search for the cure and I am sure that it will be found very soon. Do you know of anyone else that has the illness?"

"A couple other towns around us," the girl said shyly.

"Very good," Arthur nodded. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention." The girl was about to leave, but Arthur noticed that she didn't want to say goodbye to the fairies yet. "If you want, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you take a few of them home with you."

"Really?" the girl's face brightened up.

"Of course," Arthur smiled. "But it's only if you promise to take care of them. And promise me you'll be able to see them while you grow up."

"I promise!" Allison nodded feverishly and departed with five fairies. They were more than happy to play with a child again.

Most of the other people who came through were farmers asking for land or some people giving Arthur a gift to "help him overcome his traumatic experience." A few talked about the illness spreading, and one was even sick themselves. The guards almost rushed him out, but Arthur admitted that it was fine. He had been around the sickness before, after all, and he was still alive.

None of the others, though, made him smile like that little girl did. He was extremely nice and polite to all of them, but they all considered that odd, which secretly made Arthur laugh.

After a long time of waiting for the next person, Peter came in.

"Hello, Peter," Arthur nodded towards him. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"You worried me, you jerk," Peter rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of himself like a child.

"Sorry, then," Arthur laughed slightly.

"Since when do you laugh?" Peter scoffed.

"Since about three or four days into my kidnapping," Arthur leaned forward. "I have a question for you."

"What?" Peter asked.

"Can you see them?" Arthur asked. Peter looked young enough for him to see them. The fairies seemed hopeful, too, as they all flew towards him. Arthur grinned when he saw Peter wave them away.

"No," Peter grumbled. "I don't know what you're even talking about…"

"It's not bad to be able to see them, Peter," Arthur said helpfully. "I can and I'm 25."

"I think you're insane," Peter muttered and turned around. "I'm only here in the first place to say that Francis wants to talk to you."

"Then send him in," Arthur sighed and stood up. He was getting tired of sitting all day. When he noticed Francis coming in, he also saw elves at his feet, making him stumble slightly. "So, I take it since you're here that no one else is coming in?"

"Oui," Francis nodded and looked at his feet irritably. Arthur stifled a laugh. The fairies were pushing on his back and it was obvious that they were trying to push him over.

"Having back pains?" Arthur asked smugly.

"Slightly," Francis muttered. "How do you know?"

"Just a guess by the way you're walking," Arthur shrugged. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, this is my last day here," Francis shrugged. "I figured we could just talk."

"About what?" Arthur quirked an eyebrow.

"Whatever you want to," Francis stated.

"Whatever I want to?" Arthur asked. "Right then, I want to show you something."

"Alright then, let's go," Francis turned around and started walking, but the creatures had finally succeeded in tripping him, making him slam his face onto the ground.

Arthur just burst out laughing.

* * *

"How do I write that letter again?" Alfred asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I really want to know how you were chosen as Prince of Larkin," Gilbert laughed.

"I am meant to be a spokesperson!" Alfred argued. "I just don't understand the whole writing thing…"

"And that's why you should pay attention to your lessons, kid," Gilbert stated. "Here, you write it like this." Gilbert wrote down an "H" on the piece of parchment Alfred was writing on. They had successfully made it to the small, makeshift castle back in Larkin and Alfred was trying to write a letter to Arthur. But writing wasn't exactly his forte.

"Thanks," Alfred laughed weakly. "God…why is this so hard?"

"Maybe because you have the mind of a five-year-old?" Gilbert asked.

"If I had that, I would be able to see the fairies," Alfred stated and Gilbert looked at him like he was crazy. "Forget it."

"It's only been a few days since you've seen him," Gilbert stated. "Why do you miss him so much?"

"Because I just do," Alfred whined. "I miss being able to wake up in that forest with him next to me and I miss his insults and his laugh and his eyes and I just miss him!"

"Try putting that in there," Gilbert said.

"What?" Alfred asked.

"I'm no poet," Gilbert rolled his eyes, "but I know that's the kind of romantic shit girls fall for all the time. His Highness is close enough to a girl, if you ask me. And I'm sure he'll like hearing that from you."

"Right…" Alfred scratched the back of his head, looking back at the letter. "I guess I'll try it…"

"Do you know how they're doing with the independence thing yet?" Gilbert asked.

"Um, the official announcement is tomorrow," Alfred said. "I dunno if I'll still be in charge, but the people making the announcement were the ones that helped me come up with that new government, so, everyone'll know about the whole voting thing."

"You gonna at least try to be the leader?" Gilbert asked.

"Maybe," Alfred shrugged. "Iggy said I'd be good at it."

"You know what to call it yet?" Gilbert asked.

"I think President sounds kinda cool, right?" Alfred asked. "I'll have to take it up with the others, but I think it might work."

"I didn't know you were smart enough to come up with something like that," Gilbert laughed, patting Alfred on the back.

"Hey, how do you write a 'Y'?" Alfred asked.

* * *

"Where are you taking me, Arthur?" Francis asked as they climbed up the stairs on the tower.

"I found this when I was little," Arthur smiled. "But I only realized where it showed recently." As Arthur finished his sentence, they reached the small room at the top of the tower and Arthur could see out the single window. In front of them, spread out as far as the eye could see, was the magical forest of Larkin.

"Mon dieu," Francis muttered.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arthur smiled. "I can't believe I never noticed it before, but that whole forest is Larkin. It made sure that the borders were the edges of the forest. I feel horrible for cutting it down…"

"So, that's the magic forest?" Francis asked as he leaned out the window. Arthur just leaned against the wall next to it.

"As a kid I would love to look out the window and imagine the adventures I would have in the forest," Arthur smiled, nearly laughing at the elves that looked like they were circling around for story time. "All of those fantastic dreams of adventure pale in comparison to what really happened."

"Because you found your amour?" Francis teased, on his elbows behind him as he leaned against the window.

"You know, I'm surprised with how calm you are about me breaking off the marriage," Arthur smirked. "What happened to you being in love with me?"

"I was," Francis sighed. "But that magic disappeared somewhere in that forest. I guess I found someone else."

"Well that's good," Arthur chuckled. "I didn't want to be completely cold hearted, leaving you in the dirt."

"Really?" Francis asked.

"I'm not heartless, frog," Arthur rolled his eyes. "Not anymore, at least."

"You were a lot more fun before that incident," Francis sighed. "It's funny, you're acting a lot like yourself back then."

"I never did tell you about that, did I?" Arthur asked, turning to him.

"Non," Francis shook his head. Arthur noticed a hopeful look in his eye, like he was expecting the story to come out now.

"I feel kind of bad about that," Arthur sighed. "You basically raised me after my parents died but you didn't even know what happened…"

"Are you saying you will tell me now?" Francis asked.

"It's funny," Arthur chuckled. "Now that I've told someone, it's not some amazing secret anymore. I'm actually kind of okay with it now. And it doesn't haunt my dreams, either…"

"You said it was assassins, right?" Francis asked.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded his head. "They set fire to the vacation home we used to have. And shot my brothers before I made it downstairs. They shot me, that's what happened to my shoulder. They thought I was dead because I collapsed and placed me in the pile of bodies. And then my mum went right on top of me. They're what saved me from burning to death. I guess you could figure it as they're last way of helping me out."

"Désole," Francis muttered. "I didn't know it was that hard on you."

"I don't know why it's not anymore," Arthur shook his head, smiling. "I guess I can blame Alfred for that." Flying Mint Bunny gave him a quick hug, and the fairies were hugging strands of his hair.

"Next time you see him, tell him merci from me," Francis smiled.

"And why are you thankful?" Arthur asked.

"Aw, you know my language," Francis placed a hand on his heart.

"Only because you've been around me my whole life," Arthur lightly shoved him. "I remember when we first met you didn't know any English."

"Well," Francis straightened himself out and started for the stairs. "Tell him merci for making sure the old Arthur made it back safely."

"Thanks, frog," Arthur nodded. "I hope it goes well with whoever else you found."

Arthur sighed, the fairies relaxing on his head. It seemed that one was even falling asleep on his shoulder. Flying Mint Bunny yawned too.

"I guess it has been a tiring day, chaps," Arthur laughed and yawned himself. Before he left, though, he sent a sparing glance back at the forest that he missed so dearly.

As Arthur made it back to his room, he noticed a small pile of letters on his desk. He shuffled through most of them without interest, until he got to one that had his name scrawled in the most horrid handwriting Arthur had ever seen. It said on it "King Iggy."

Arthur just laughed and sat down, picking up his letter opener.

* * *

**God this chapter made me smile in so many ways! It's funny, at first I didn't plan for Francis to have a happy ending, he would have just kinda been left in the dirt. But, the more I developed his character, the more I felt horrible for doing that to him. That's why I gave him that side pairing. Oh, and I just realized that I haven't been putting the unicorn in here... Let's just say Arthur left him in Larkin because it would be awkward to keep a unicorn in his room, okay? It'll come back later (oops, spoiler?) so he's not completely forgotten. Wow, I think this is the longest author's note I've ever written. That's what I get for doing it at midnight when I'm hyper...**

**Anyway, please review! I love everyone that has reviewed so far! And we're nearing the end, sorry to say, so I just need that extra little push to get it all finished.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	23. Letters

_Deer, Arty,_

Was how the letter began. It was obviously from Alfred, which made Arthur smile. But what made him laugh was how nearly every word was horribly misspelled. The fairies, elves, and Flying Mint Bunny all crowded around the table to hear what the letter said, so Arthur read it out loud.

_Hay, Iggy, jus wantd to let ya no I mis ya. Gil sayd we shud rite and sinse I wont get to tak to ya for a wile we shud do this._

_I wantd to make shur that ya new I mis waking up next to ya and yer insults and yer laf and yer iyes and iyebrows and just you._

_I luv ya so rite bak. It may not b as god as heering yer vois, but its clos enuf._

Arthur stopped reading it for a second. It may not have been poetry and it may have been a destruction of the art of writing, but it was beautiful all the same. And it made Arthur smile. It may have only been a few days since he had seen Alfred, but he missed him something terrible.

_I no yer busi but rite bak wen ya hav time._

_Alfred F. Jones_

Arthur couldn't even try to lower his smile as he read through the letter over and over again. It seemed like exactly something Alfred would do and he could practically hear his voice as he read the note. And he let out a laugh, seeing that he took extra care in spelling out his own name.

"How bad to you miss him?" a fairy asked cautiously, standing on his shoulder and patting his cheek.

"God, I can't even explain it," Arthur chuckled. He pulled out a fresh piece of paper and took the pen from the inkwell.

_Dear Alfred_

* * *

"I'm so bored!" Alfred groaned, leaning back in a chair.

"Hey, on the bright side, you're nominated for president," Gilbert laughed, stepping into the room. "And you got fan mail."

"Really?" Alfred laughed and Gilbert handed him a handful of letters. Alfred glanced at a few, not really caring for most of them and just tossing them on the table in front of him. They were in the dining room in the small castle. One letter caught his attention, though. It looked oddly official, so he quickly ripped it open and read through it. He was okay at reading, only understanding a few words. But it was enough to understand what it said. "I don't think this one's fan mail."

"Well, what is it?" Gilbert asked, picking up the other pieces of fan mail and shuffling through them.

"Looks like they're going to demolish this castle," Alfred muttered, tossing the letter aside. "Probably to get rid of our ties to Klinster and to make a different place to put the President."

"Sounds right," Gilbert muttered. He was tossing a few letters to the side, but he stopped on one. "Well, well, lookie here."

"What?" Alfred asked.

"Check out the seal on this one," Gilbert handed him a letter and Alfred looked at it. It was some sort of wax seal with a very official looking symbol.

"What is it?" Alfred asked.

"The official seal of the Kirkland family," Gilbert grinned.

"No way," Alfred gaped at the letter. "But I just sent that letter, like, yesterday!"

"He probably misses you just as much as you miss him," Gilbert laughed.

Alfred quickly fumbled to rip it open and looked at the letter. He tried to read it, but in his excitement, he couldn't read a word. "Dude, you gotta read it for me."

"Why me?" Gilbert complained.

"Because you can read," Alfred stated. "Come on! I have to know what he said!"

"Why don't you just learn how to read?" Gilbert rolled his eyes and snatched the letter from Alfred. He didn't bother reading it through before reading it out loud.

_Dear Alfred_

He started, trying to copy Arthur's accent, which made Alfred laugh slightly.

_I miss you, too. Very much, in fact. It's great to see that you are trying to learn how to write, and I am trying to refrain from telling you all of the mistakes in it. But at the same time, they're all adorable._

_Just like you, I miss being able to wake up with you by my side. I have the fairies, but they're nothing compared to you. I do wish we could talk so I can hear your voice again, but I am dreadfully busy, so this will have to do._

_Are you busy over there? You must be with your independence and all that. Have you come up with a name for me to call myself yet? I would love to get that idea out to everyone and see what they think of it._

_I have also been talking with Ludwig and something came to my attention. Ask Gilbert about the_

Gilbert stopped and crumpled the paper before throwing it on the ground and stomping away, muttering in German.

Alfred cautiously picked the letter up when Gilbert stormed out of the room. He struggled at first to find the spot where Gilbert left off, but then he found the word Gilbert stopped reading at and tried to figure out what the word was.

"M-mace…acre…?" Alfred sounded out and ran after Gilbert. Surprisingly he was just outside the room, angrily staring out the window. "Hey, Gil, what's a…a mace-acre?"

"It says massacre, dip-shit," Gilbert glared at him.

"Why does Artie want me to ask you about it?" Alfred asked.

"I already told you that I'm not gonna give you my back story," Gilbert snapped, but he didn't move.

"What massacre was he talking about?" Alfred tried.

"The one that wiped out my homeland," Gilbert muttered.

"How long ago was it?" Alfred asked.

"When I was 12," Gilbert said simply.

"Does it have to do with why you hate your brother?" Alfred asked.

"I don't hate him," Gilbert sighed. "He's my bruder, I can't hate him." Gilbert shook his head. "He just always wants to talk about it and I'm over it. I don't need to talk about anything."

"Well, obviously you're not over it," Alfred stated. "You'll feel better about it if you talk about it, you know."

"Do you even know your fucking history?" Gilbert spat at him. "Germany used to be basically this whole area. Klinster, Larkin, nearly every empire out there. You know what happened to it? It got destroyed because it was getting too big and the rebels didn't like it. The Kirklands? Yeah, they led that attack that wiped out the German royal family. They were the ones that took most of the land for themselves. I'm pretty sure not even His Highness knew about it because he was a baby when it happened, probably not even born and his parents didn't want to seem evil to him. If you think I'll feel better talking about it, say that to the millions who died during that war. I'd like to see their faces."

With that, Gilbert finally stormed off, leaving Alfred awkwardly standing there in the hallway. Alfred stood there for a second, processing, and finally looked at the letter, carefully sounding out what the rest of the letter said.

_Ask Gilbert about the massacre. He probably won't tell you anything about it, but we could at least try. His brother has been trying to at least contact him for years, he's worried he won't forgive him. And I don't want him stuck in the past like I was. So please try._

_I'm sorry we can't talk face to face for a while, but that's the problem of being in charge, right? I love you. And I am waiting for the day we will meet again in your former territory of Larkin._

_Arthur Kirkland_

Alfred carefully folded the letter, putting it in his pocket, and started towards where he remembered the library was. He was going to learn about this and then have a chat with Gilbert.

* * *

"Hey, Gil," Alfred said as he stormed into Gilbert's room.

"What do you want?" Gilbert asked irritably, but Alfred ignored him. Instead, he slammed the book he had just spent hours reading on his lap.

"I know my fucking history now," Alfred glared at him. "Now tell me what your problem is."

"I take it this means I won't have to read another one of your stupid letters for you," Gilbert scoffed, shoving the book on the ground.

"Gil, just tell me what happened between you and Ludwig," Alfred crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That's all I want to know and then I'll leave."

"And I'm not talking about it," Gilbert stated simply.

"You're last name is Weillshmidt, right?" Alfred asked, picking up the book.

"Sure," Gilbert scoffed as Alfred started flipping to the page he remembered finding.

"The Weillshmidt family," Alfred read out loud. Before he came in here, he read this passage over and over again until he made sure he got it right, "rumored to be the last family left, played a small, but important role in the war."

"Shut up," Gilbert growled.

"Shorty after the parents were killed," Alfred continued, "the two sons tried to join in the war. Sadly, they were too young to fight, the eldest only being 12. So they turned to spying, something where their small size came in handy."

"Give me that," Gilbert demanded, trying to snatch the book away, but Alfred moved it out of his reach skillfully.

"In the beginning, the children worked together, but eventually the youngest-" Alfred was cut off by Gilbert snatching the book out of his hand. But he continued anyway. "Eventually the youngest abandoned his brother to fight for the other side."

"You shut the hell up right now," Gilbert warned.

"I just want to know what happened!" Alfred yelled at him. "Ludwig and Arthur do too. If it's such a big deal, won't it feel nice to get it off your shoulders?"

"It doesn't bother me anymore," Gilbert glared at him, slamming the book on the ground and kicking it under his bed.

"If it doesn't bother you, why can't you talk about it?" Alfred asked.

"There's a difference between can't and won't," Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "Just leave."

"No," Alfred held his ground. "Tell me what happened."

"No," Gilbert copied. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Remember when you said you were stronger than you look?" Alfred asked. Gilbert nodded. "Let's test that." Alfred quickly tackled Gilbert to the ground, quickly pinning his hands and legs. But Gilbert fought back roughly, making Alfred use all of his energy to try to keep him down. "Just tell me what happened. It's not that hard."

"What the hell does it even matter to you!" Gilbert snapped.

"Because you're my best friend, dammit!" Alfred yelled and Gilbert stopped struggling, eyes wide. "I don't want my best friend bottling up everything until he snaps! You're gonna tell me what happened, whether you like it or not!"

"How am I your best friend?" Gilbert asked irritably.

"Because you're the only person here I talk to?" Alfred sighed. "Because you're the one that agreed to help me with Arthur. Because you helped me with my stupid idea. You have been my best friend since we met! I knew you were awesome the second I laid eyes on you. But you know what's not awesome? Keeping secrets! Everyone's worried about you and you don't give a shit. That's not going to roll with me. Just tell me!"

"Gott, fine," Gilbert sighed.

"Really?" Alfred's eyes widened.

"Ja, if you get the hell off me!" Gilbert snapped and Alfred immediately stood up, holding out a hand for him. Gilbert took it and was soon helped to his feet.

"So, why did you guys take different sides?" Alfred asked.

"It was during a spy mission," Gilbert stated. "He heard the ideals that the Kirklands were talking about and I could just tell by the look of his face that he agreed with them. So I started ignoring him, thinking that he would change his mind seeing that I was mad. I was 12, so I was sure it would work. But as more of our people got killed, his mindset stayed with their side. He never told me, but I could tell just by looking at him. So one day I just left him at our makeshift house. I left him alone because I figured that was what he deserved for abandoning our cause.

"The part that hurt the most was when I was on a mission and I ran into him, but he was working for their side. He was ordered to kill me, a very useful spy, and he actually took the mission. As a fucking 10 year old… They probably chose him because he was my brother. And that would be why I can't stare him in the face anymore and why he's the advisor to the Kirkland family. Thanks to a lot of his usefulness, they won the war. I only survived because I hid like a coward."

"But…Artie said that Ludwig doesn't know why you won't talk to him," Alfred said cautiously.

"Like I said, he never told me about him wanting to switch sides," Gilbert sighed. "He just knows that I stopped talking to him the day I left. When we ran into each other, he started talking, but I just turned around and ran away."

"You should at least try talking to him," Alfred said.

"Why?" Gilbert scoffed and started towards the door. "Not everyone is like you and your brother. Not everyone in this world can get along. Sorry to burst your bubble." Gilbert walked out of the room and slammed the door.

Alfred sighed. Time to right another letter.

* * *

**Heh, angsty chapter to counteract the happy chapter last time, eh? But the letters have started on the bright side! Alfred's side is hillarious to write. I'm just sitting there for ten minutes trying to write in the most basic way possible... God, it's hard... But, hey, Alfred's already forming a plan in his head to get the German brothers to talk to each other again. And if it's Alfred's plan, you know it's gonna either go horrible wrong or be hillarious. Or both.**

**Review, please! You guys are all amazing and so nice! I love you all!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	24. Brothers

"Any letters today?" Arthur asked Ludwig, who had just stepped into his room.

"Ja, a couple," Ludwig stated, setting them down on the desk, which Arthur was sitting at.

"How long has it been since I sent that letter to Alfred?" Arthur asked.

"About a day," Ludwig informed.

"Then there's a slight chance," Arthur shuffled through the letters quickly. At the end was Alfred's horrible scrawl. Arthur quickly set to work opening it. Luckily, his writing was a little better, but the spelling still needed some work. He silently read through the letter.

_Hey Arty,_

_Befor I get into this…I talkd to Gil abot the masacre. Sins I cant rite that wel I shud tel Ludwig in person. I hav a plan to get them to talk again. All I need is Ludwig to com over._

_Any way I think its relly cool that we r talkn liek this. Its almost liek yur here with me…_

_To b onest I am a litl busy here bcuz of the indipendance thing. We hav a voting thing hapning son and I stil mite b the next leader. O! And we desidd to cal it a President._

Arthur laughed at the obvious care in the last word, like Alfred really tried to make sure it was spelled right.

_You wud mak an awsum President in my opinon._

_I luv you and mis you alot and cant wait to c you soon!_

_Alfred F. Jones_

Arthur took a moment to smile at the letter and all the obvious work Alfred had put into it. It was rather adorable how he couldn't spell. As much as Arthur wished he could learn how to spell properly, he did love all of the mistakes.

"So, Ludwig," Arthur said after a while. "Alfred and I have a proposition for you."

* * *

Alfred looked up from his letter from Arthur smiling. This would be perfect. Ludwig was probably already on his way now, and he'd be there soon, considering it took not even a day to get to the small castle from Klinster. So all Alfred had to do was trick Gilbert…

"What'd that letter say?" Gilbert asked casually from the other side of the table. "For you to pour lemon juice on my wound?"

"Aw, come on," Alfred sighed. "Doesn't it feel at least a little better now that you've talked about it?"

"No, I feel worse," Gilbert stated. "And I'm never talking about it again."

"Never?" Alfred asked. "What about when you're like, 100, and you want to tell your grandkids why they will never see their other grandfather?"

"Like hell I'll even get a grandkid," Gilbert laughed. "I don't even plan on having a kid in the first place."

"I think having a kid would be cool," Alfred grinned.

"And do tell me how you intend on having a kid?" Gilbert asked. "Last time I checked, your other half was a guy."

"I'll find an orphan," Alfred laughed. "It'll work!"

"What if he's into guys, too?" Gilbert asked.

"Then he'll get an orphan, too," Alfred said. "See? Everything works itself out."

"You are such an idiot," Gilbert chuckled, shaking his head.

"But I'm a cool idiot," Alfred winked.

"Whatever you say," Gilbert sighed.

"Alfred," someone came into the dining room. "You have a visitor."

"Um, right," Alfred nodded. "Just bring him to the…the…main hall?" Alfred guessed and the person left. That guest had to be Ludwig...

"Is that a question or a statement?" Gilbert laughed.

"I've never had a guest before," Alfred pouted. "I don't know what to do!"

"Whatever," Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"Hey, do me a favor and come with me?" Alfred asked, standing up.

"Why?" Gilbert asked. "He's your guest."

"Because you're my advisor?" Alfred tried. But Gilbert just scoffed. "Because you're my best friend?"

"Why is it such a big deal?" Gilbert asked, standing up, too.

"Because I don't like greeting people alone," Alfred shrugged. "It just feels awkward." Alfred stuffed his hands in his pockets, feeling the shackles he had put in there when he wrote his last letter to Arthur.

"Whatever, let's go," Gilbert sighed and started walking towards the door.

"'Kay," Alfred nodded and silently messed with the shackles until he felt one close around his right wrist. He walked to Gilbert's left on their way to the main hall. Just as they got to the doors, though, Alfred stopped, making Gilbert stop, too.

"Scared?" Gilbert teased.

"Nah," Alfred said quickly. "I just wanted to say something before we went in."

"What?" Gilbert asked.

"Don't freak out," Alfred muttered and quickly attached the other side of the shackles on his wrist to Gilbert's left wrist. Alfred backed away slightly, scared of what he would do.

At first, Gilbert's eyes just went wide, but then he glared at Alfred, looking really pissed.

"What the hell!" Gilbert snapped at him, looking like he was trying to tear the chain off.

"Hey, I told you not to freak out," Alfred shrugged.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gilbert growled, gripping onto the front of Alfred's shirt.

"You need to talk to Ludwig," Alfred said firmly.

"He's the guest…" Gilbert paused for a second, before going to walk away. "Nein."

"Yes!" Alfred argued, using all of his strength to keep Gilbert put, the shackles digging into his wrist. "You are going to talk to him, I don't care what you say."

"Nein!" Gilbert yelled at him. "I will not!"

"You don't even know his side of the story!" Alfred argued. "What if it actually makes sense?"

"I don't care," Gilbert snapped.

"Have you even seen him since you've ran into him all those years ago?" Alfred asked. "He's your brother, I would at least expect you would want to see him grown up!"

"I'll live," Gilbert stated.

"You don't even have to talk!" Alfred tried. "Just listen."

"Nein," Gilbert glared at him.

"What's going on out here?" an unfamiliar voice to Alfred asked, the door opening. Gilbert stopped his struggling, his eyes going wide. The second someone stepped out of the door, though, Gilbert just looked over to the right with a huff.

"Uh, hey, so you're Ludwig?" Alfred asked, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. The person in front of him looked very serious and official, but his blue eyes immediately softened when he saw Gilbert. He had blonde hair that was neatly gelled back.

"Ja," he said absent-mindedly, staring at Gilbert. "Gilbert?"

When Gilbert didn't say anything, Alfred piped up again. "I-uh, I think this means he's just gonna listen…"

"Why are you two handcuffed?" Ludwig asked.

"Ah, well, that's just so he doesn't run away," Alfred said awkwardly. "It helps that I'm a little stronger than him. You know, you don't look like the younger brother. You're actually pretty, extremely tall." Gilbert silently grumbled something Alfred couldn't hear. When Ludwig didn't say anything and just stared at his brother, Alfred took his cue to talk again. "So, um, I guess you can tell your side to him and I'll be able to tell you his side. That okay?"

"Ja, fine," Ludwig nodded.

"Actually, before that, I know a question he wants to ask you." At that, Gilbert swiftly glared at him. Alfred glared at him for a second before continuing. "He just wants to know why you switched sides."

"He didn't give me much choice of that," Ludwig stated. "Soon after he left me alone, they found where we lived. They said they would kill me if I didn't go with them." Gilbert's eyes widened at that and he finally looked at Ludwig. "They had me work for them because they said they knew where you were and they would kill you if I didn't work with them."

"You wanted to protect me so bad, why'd you take that mission to kill me?" Gilbert muttered, looking away again. Alfred raised an eyebrow at Gilbert braking his vow of silence, but didn't say anything.

"So I could talk to you, dummkopf," Ludwig sighed. "And maybe get help, but you ran away."

"I was 12," Gilbert snapped.

"And I was 10," Ludwig countered.

"Now that you two are talking," Alfred muttered, "I feel a little awkward just standing here. So, I'm just gonna…" Alfred looked around for a little bit until he saw that the door handle on the door to the main hall was firmly attached to the door. Quickly, Alfred pulled out the key to the shackles, unlocked just his side, and reattached it to the door handle. "See ya," Alfred chirped quickly as he left, storing the key as he went.

"Arshloch!" Gilbert snapped and Alfred heard the shackles clinking against the door handle.

"Okay," Alfred sighed after he made it away from them. "Maybe I should have given the key to Ludwig or something… A little too late now…" He started briskly walking back to the dining room, where the letters and paper were. Maybe he should just write a letter and come back to see where they were then.

* * *

Alfred looked at his letter proudly, this was probably his best writing yet and it took him forever. Which must have meant that the two brothers were finished talking. Alfred quickly folded up the paper and stuffed it into an envelope before leaving the room and making his way back to the main hall.

He could hear calm talking the closer he got and sighed with relief to see that they weren't fighting.

"I haven't seen Roddie and Liza in years," Gilbert laughed. "When I saw them last, they looked pretty happy."

"Is that so?" Ludwig asked.

When Alfred rounded the corner, he could see both Gilbert and Ludwig sitting down, Gilbert's left hand up in the air because of the shackles being attached to the door. They seemed to just be casually talking, but the second Gilbert saw Alfred, he stood up.

"There you are, bastard!" Gilbert snapped at him. "Get these the hell off me now!"

"Aw, but aren't you having fun talking to your brother?" Alfred teased, pocketing his new letter.

"Ja, ja, whatever," Gilbert sighed and yanked at the shackles. "Get me out of these."

Ludwig stood up, too, and Alfred walked up to them, but not close enough so that Gilbert could reach him. He actually stayed perfectly out of reach.

"Thank you for this," Ludwig put a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

"No problem, dude!" Alfred smiled.

"Alfred," Gilbert growled.

"Are you happy, too?" Alfred asked as he watched Gilbert try to grab at him.

"If I say yes, will you let me go?" Gilbert sighed, still tugging at the shackles.

"It depends if you mean it," Alfred shrugged.

"Mein Gott, now I know how poor Arthur felt," Gilbert sighed, slamming his head against the door, making it close.

"I felt it, too, man," Alfred laughed. "And you didn't dangle by the shackles like I did, so you didn't feel all the pain."

"What happened?" Ludwig asked.

"Arthur got swooped up by an angry tree in the forest and I just kinda had to hang there until he asked for help," Alfred said simply. "That was a hilarious day! I didn't realize it until recently, but that forest was so playing matchmaker with us."

"Lovely story," Gilbert dead-panned. "Now will you let me go now?"

"If you admit that you love and missed your brother," Alfred winked.

"I am going to kill you once I'm free," Gilbert glared at him.

"Say it," Alfred smiled.

"Bruder, ich liebe dich," Gilbert stated, looking at Ludwig, who let a small smile trace across his face.

"I wanna know what you guys talked about while I was gone," Alfred laughed, pulling out the key. He walked towards Gilbert, who held out his wrist for him.

"We just talked about how it was my fault," Gilbert sighed. "And I've already said my apologies, so if you make me say that again, I will kill you."

"It wasn't all your fault," Ludwig said. "I should have known that they didn't know where you were."

"And I left you alone," Gilbert quickly stepped away from the door now that the shackles were undone. "I'm your older bruder, I should take care of you."

"Aw, it's so sweet," Alfred sighed. "Oh, hey, I just remembered, you're going back to Klinster, right?" He turned to Ludwig.

"Ja," Ludwig nodded.

"Could you take this letter to Artie?" Alfred asked, holding out the letter.

"Of course," Ludwig took it.

"Thanks, dude," Alfred smiled, unlocking the shackles from the door handle.

"Hey, could I see those really quick?" Gilbert asked.

"Sure," Alfred hummed absent-mindedly, handing the shackles to Gilbert. And he didn't notice that he stole the key, too.

"You know what's really awesome?" Gilbert asked, tossing the shackles in the air slightly and started walking back to the door, behind Alfred.

"What?" Alfred asked.

"Revenge," Gilbert grinned. Alfred tried to get away quickly, but in a flash, he felt both sides of the shackles on his wrists.

"Very funny," Alfred rolled his eyes and tried to move, but he couldn't. He turned his head around and saw that the chain went through the door handle, meaning he was attached to it with both of his hands behind his back. "Okay, you can let me go now."

"Be back in a couple hours to get you," Gilbert smiled, holding out the key.

"Hey! Come on!" Alfred struggled against the door handle, but that just made the door move, making him stumble. "This is totally uncool, dude…"

"It may not be cool," Gilbert hummed as he walked away, Ludwig following soon after him. "But it's awesome."

* * *

**Ah, sweet revenge. It is indeed awesome. This chapter really hated me today... Most because of Ludwig and my complete inibility to write him without it being extremely awkward. But, whatever, the German brother's got a happy ending in the end and there's only one chapter left. Luckily, after I wrote this chapter, I was on a roll, so I finished the last chapter. Which means you won't have to wait long for the next chapter.**

**Anywho...Please review! I don't want to give anything away, but I'm going to be giving a special prize to a few special reviewers. You'll just have to find out what that is next chapter, though.**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


	25. Happy

Arthur started humming a song, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet on his desk, glancing out his window. It was a relaxing day today, since he didn't really have to do much. And he decided to stay in his room so that he didn't have people criticizing him for his friends, who were currently dancing to Arthur's tune.

Arthur let out a laugh when one fairy put a kiss on another's cheek and they both blushed. One of the fairies reminded him so much of Alfred. He was flying around, hyper, trying to mess with everyone else. Arthur was pretty sure he hadn't been still for two seconds in the past 2 hours.

Thinking about Alfred improved his mood significantly. It had been months now since he had last seen him. Maybe even a year, when he thought about it. A small frown traced his face at that thought.

It couldn't have been a year, could it? Arthur put his feet down from the desk and fumbled with the pile of letters he had gotten from Alfred. At least he was smart enough to date them, so Arthur found the one at the end of the pile, the first one he had sent him. It was dated for over a year ago…

"Jesus Christ…" Arthur muttered, staring at the letter. Over the past year, Alfred's handwriting and spelling had improved significantly, but he never really noticed before how many letters there really were.

"What's wrong, Arthur?" Flying Mint Bunny asked.

"I have to see Alfred," Arthur muttered, standing up. "I'm going to go find Ludwig and talk with him about clearing my schedual."

Arthur rushed out of the room and started walking quickly, not really seeing where he was going. Where would Ludwig be in the first place? Arthur never asked where he went when he wasn't around. Before Arthur got very far, though, he slammed into someone, making him fall on his butt.

"Oh, bloody hell," Arthur muttered.

"Je suis désole!" Francis' voice gasped. "Are you okay, mon ami?"

"I'm fine," Arthur sighed. Seeing a hand in front of his face, he took it and was helped up. "Do you know where Ludwig is?"

"I just got here, Arthur," Francis laughed. "You seemed like you were in a rush, what is wrong?"

"It will seem stupid if I say it," Arthur massaged his forehead.

"Is it in the name of amour?" Francis asked.

"Yes," Arthur shook his head. "It seems stupid, but I just noticed that it's been over a year since I've seen Alfred and I have to see him."

"Do you know where he is?" Francis asked.

"In his last letter he said he would be in that small town he took me to when he kidnapped me," Arthur muttered.

"You've been exchanging letters?" Francis gasped. "How romantic! I didn't know you had that in you."

"It was Alfred's idea," Arthur shook his head. "Anyway, I must find Ludwig to clear my schedule."

"I just got a wonderful idea!" Francis yelled as they started walking again. "Mon cher and I could go ahead of you a couple minutes and he will think the surprise is his brother, but then he will see you. Oh, it will be so romantic."

"If that weren't a good idea, I would hit you," Arthur rolled his eyes. "When did you start calling Mathew that nickname?"

"For over a year now," Francis smirked.

"Oh, so he's the one," Arthur glanced back at him.

"Oui," Francis smiled. "We both get a twin."

"That just makes it sound wrong," Arthur laughed.

"Oh, don't tell me you don't get kinky images-" Francis started, but Arthur cut him off.

"I am _not_ listening to this," Arthur quickly placed his hands over his ears.

"I forgot you were so innocent, mon ami," Francis placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me!" Arthur snapped. "I am not innocent!"

"And yet you act like a petit garçon," Francis messed up Arthur's hair.

"Just because I can see them and you can't," Arthur sighed, "does not mean I act like a kid."

"When you stop giggling with them in your room, I will believe you," Francis laughed.

"Sod off, frog," Arthur pushed him lightly.

"I thought we were over the insults," Francis sighed. "But, since we are not, this means I can counter frog with Princess Iggy."

Arthur stopped. "No," Arthur glared at him. "No, you will not call me by that name!"

"But it is so perfect, non?" Francis laughed and started running when Arthur started after him.

"I am not a bloody princess!" Arthur yelled, charging after him.

"You are so slow at running," Francis laughed as he turned a corner.

"Shut it!" Arthur yelled in return, but slammed into Francis' back just as he rounded the corner. "Bloody hell! Again?"

"What were you two doing?" Ludwig's voice asked and Arthur looked up.

"Well you see," Francis started, a hand on his hip. "Mon ami simply couldn't bear the thought of never having a chance at me again, so he was chasing me down in hopes I would sleep with him."

"I did not say that, you bloody, perverted frog!" Arthur snapped. "And I was chasing you down for that infernal nickname! Did Alfred tell you that?"

"Non," Francis shook his head, smiling. "He told mon cher, and he was kind enough to tell me. Wonderful blackmail, isn't it?"

"I will bloody kill you!" Arthur lunged at him, but Ludwig easily kept him back. "Ludwig. Let me strangle this cheesy monkey."

"When did you two start behaving like children," Ludwig massaged his nose.

"See?" Francis mocked. "You do act like a child."

"That's it!" Arthur tried lunging again, but Ludwig still easily kept him back. "How strong are you, Ludwig?" Arthur marveled.

"Strong enough," Ludwig said simply.

"Alright, then," Arthur straightened himself out. "Do you know what my schedule is like for the next few days?"

"There's nothing important that I know of," Ludwig informed.

"Great, I would like for you to keep it clear for the next week," Arthur stated.

"Why?" Ludwig asked.

"You want to stay there for an entire week?" Francis smirked. "My, my, you may not be innocent by the time you get back."

"I am not going to-" Arthur started off yelled, but stopped to calm himself down. "I am not going to do…that."

"Scared?" Francis teased.

"I am going to bloody kill you," Arthur snapped, but Ludwig placed a hand on his shoulder to make sure he didn't move.

"Why do you need a week?" Ludwig asked.

"I am going to see Alfred."

* * *

Alfred whistled, walking through town. He had a lot of fond memories of this town, most of them from when he brought Arthur there. Back then, everyone was sick. But, thanks to Arthur having that research thing, everyone was fine. At first, when Alfred heard of all the things Arthur did to help Larkin, he didn't believe it. But he's making sure the forest stays protected now and he's been giving food and money, which was always desperately needed.

Alfred sighed, thinking about Arthur always made him sad. It had been almost a year since he had seen him. Sure the letters were teaching him how to read and write, but he missed Arthur horribly…

He couldn't think about that now, though, so he shook his head and kept walking with his head held high. He was here on business, at least that's what he told Arthur in his last letter. In truth, all he was doing was checking out the progress. Which was working out well. The houses were built nice and proud, made solidly out of wood. And the roads were finally carved out well, with most of the rocks taken out. There was even a shop or two in this small town.

Alfred looked down the road, and that was when he saw a simple carriage making its way down the road. Last time he saw that was when Francis and Mathew visited him a couple months ago. He had been writing a few letters to Mathew, maybe that was how they knew where he was.

Sure enough, the carriage stopped about in the middle of the town and, when the doors opened, Mathew ran out and hugged Alfred. Naturally, Alfred hugged back with all his might.

"Hey, Mattie!" Alfred smiled. "What are you doing out here?"

"We're just stopping by," Mathew said and Alfred noticed that his smile was abnormally huge.

"Francy pants being good to you?" Alfred asked.

"Should I take that offensively?" Francis asked as he, too, stepped out of the carriage.

"All I wanna know is if you're raping my brother or something," Alfred shrugged. "He still _seems_ innocent enough."

"And you may never know if I have done the deed," Francis winked and Mathew flushed red.

"Francis!" Mathew tried to yell, but his voice cracked in his embarrassment.

"You guys on your way to Klinster or something?" Alfred asked, leaning an arm on his brother's shoulders, which was abruptly shoved off.

"Non, we just felt like dropping by," Francis smiled.

"So, do I have Mattie to thank for this visit?" Alfred laughed.

"Oh, no, this wasn't my idea," Mathew smiled hugely and quickly hugged Alfred again. Confused, Alfred looked over at Francis, but he just shook his head.

And that was when Alfred heard it. That familiar voice with the cutest accent he had ever heard. That could only have come from one person. Alfred turned his head to where he heard the voice, near the forest. And he saw a little boy talking to an extremely familiar king Alfred knew.

"This is Flying Mint Bunny," Arthur smiled softly at a boy. He was kneeling down to his level. The boy started laughing, looking like he was being tickled. "I think he likes you."

"Do you think I could keep some of the fairies around?" the boy asked hopefully.

"Only if you promise me that you'll be able to see them while you grow up," Arthur laughed and Alfred nearly melted. It had been ages since he heard that perfect laugh.

Finally, Alfred became unfrozen and started running as fast as he could towards Arthur. "Iggy!" he screamed and Arthur finally stood up, smiling. Alfred quickly wrapped him in a huge hug, picking him up and spinning him around in the process. And before either of them could catch their breath, he put Arthur down and pressed his lips against Arthur's feverishly, using the back of his head as support. Arthur slickly wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck and happily kissed him back. Alfred wanted to stay there forever, for the rest of his life if possible, but a stupid thing called air got in the way and they had to pull away.

"Hello, love," Arthur panted, smiling.

"Oh, my God, I missed you," Alfred pulled him into another tight hug.

"I missed you, too," Arthur laughed and Alfred kissed him again, this one maybe longer than the last. When they finally pulled away again, Arthur said, "And I am also starting to miss air."

"I don't need air as long as you're here," Alfred hugged him again, this time lightly.

"Yes, I feel the same way," Arthur leaned his head against Alfred's chest.

"Trés adorable, right Mathieu?" Francis sighed.

"Oui," Mathew muttered. Alfred and Arthur looked over to them at the same time.

"I do believe we were having a private moment, frog," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Well, hello, Alfred," a familiar voice chuckled. Both of them turned around to look for the source, and Alfred found that woman who was pregnant the last time Arthur was there, Angie. Right now, she was holding a little bundle of blankets in her arms. "And, Arthur."

"Hello, miss," Arthur nodded politely.

"Hey, Angie," Alfred smiled. "I can't believe I forgot about your whole baby thing! What did it turn out to be?"

"It's a boy," Angie laughed. Alfred noticed Arthur smiling slightly at it.

"Well, whaddya name it?" Alfred asked.

"Alfred!" Arthur elbowed him. "That is hardly polite!"

"It's fine, I don't mind," Angie smiled brightly. "To be honest, I wanted to tell you two the second I saw you. His name is Arthur."

"Thank you," Arthur quickly bowed his head. "For giving me the privelege of being a namesake."

"That's so cool!" Alfred leaned over to look at the child. "It's like a mini Iggy!"

"Well, it can see the fairies," Arthur laughed and Alfred could see the baby moving his hands in the air, trying to grab at something.

"Hey," Alfred turned his attention to Arthur. "Tell me what they're doing!"

"What?" Arthur let out a laugh.

"The fairies and stuff!" Alfred nearly jumped up and down. "What are they doing?"

"Well," Arthur chuckled. "There's a small dragon that seems to like you, as it's been circling around you since I could see it. There are a few fairies trying to kiss you, since they've missed you. An elf is pulling on your leg, desperately hoping you will see it. And then there's the unicorn that's trying to push us together even closer than we already are."

"God, I missed them, too," Alfred laughed, kissing Arthur's forehead.

"If you want," Arthur smiled, "I do have an entire week here, we could go find that clearing again and you'll be able to see them, too."

"But I don't know where that is," Alfred complained. "We'll have to search forever and we might even get lost in the forest."

"Perfect," Arthur placed a short, chaste kiss on Alfred's lips. "Shall we get going, then, Mr. President?"

"Sure thing, Princess," Alfred winked and they started walking to the forest.

"Ah, l'amour," could be heard in the distance as they disappeared.

It is said that Klinster and Larkin forever remained allies in every war, no matter the side or time period. It always seemed as though there was a bond there, impossible to break, yet impossible to see.

It is said that the secret of how that bond formed lays in the Larkin forest. The fairies still talk about it to this day, but no one is old enough when they see them to understand what they're talking about.

Maybe you should ask.

* * *

**Ta-da! This marks the end, I hope you all enjoyed it! If you caught it up there, Alfie got to be President of Larkin. I'm sorry about the time skip, it's just that it seemed kinda right, I dunno, tell me what you think!**

**Anyway, last chapter, I said I would have a surprise for a few reviewers. You see, this is the longest story I've ever written in my life, and everyone's reviews really helped me along. If it wasn't for you guys, I'm pretty sure it would have been, like, 10 chapters shorter. My biggest thanks go to my top three reviewers- Vanne-Nessa, yacchin, and CapnKirk. Everyone else means a lot to me, but you three reviewed the most, so as thanks, I'm gonna offer you guys a specialized one-shot. Anything you want(other than lemons)! Just PM me what you want and I'll work on it as fast as I can. This is important because I'm going to be taking a long break from FanFiction after those three.**

**Huge thanks to everyone who's favorited and alerted and reviewed! I really couldn't have done all this without you!**

**I don't own Hetalia.**


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